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COPYKIGUT DEPOSIT. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST 



Written by 



A Lawyer for His Children 




^-*****^+ 



Franklin Hudson Publishing Co. 
Kansas City, Mo. 
1920 






Copyrighted, 1920, by Allen W. Walker. 



TThE author wishes to acknowledge his indebtedness 
to the Perry Picture Company for the use of the head 
of the youthful Christ on the cover, which is a repro- 
duction of one of their copyrighted pictures. 



MM 20 1320 



'C-IA5700' 



DEDICATION. 

For several years I have searched book shelves seek- 
ing to find a full and connected story of the Life and Say- 
ings of The Christ written in the simple language of the 
Bible. I have found many charming volumes, but their 
depth of learning and wealth of language are beyond the 
ken of youthful minds. 

So I have gleaned from the Scripture and many other 
sources and tried to set that story forth in this little volume 
in its order of time and as far as can well be done in short 
and simple words. The desire that my own children shall 
begin early to solve the problem of life for themselves has 
led me to do this work and to them I affectionately dedi- 
cate this little volume. 

ALLEN W. WALKER. 
Fayette, Mo., 1919. 



INDEX. 

PAGE 

Adulteress 69 

Andrew 26 

Anna, the prophetess 11 

Annas, the former high priest 112 

Anointment by Mary 91 

Appearances 127, t 32 

Apostles 37 

Arehelaus 16 

Ascension 132 

Baptism 24 

Bartholomew. 37 

Bartimaeus 89 

Bar-Abbas 118 

Bethany 82 

Bethabara 24 

Bethesda 35 

Bethsaida 56, 61 

Betrayal 105, 1 1 1 

Birth 5, 9 

Boyhood 17, 20 

B rial 124 

Caesarea Philippi 61 

Caiaphas, the high priest 87,113 

Calvary 122 

Capernaum 31 

Children 64, 83 

Childhood of Christ 17 

Circumcision 10 

Cleansing the Temple 94 

Cleopas 127 

Commandments 99 

Council of the Jews 87, 1 13 

Crucifixion 122 

Decapolis. 60 

Dedication, feast of 73, 80 

Disciples 26, 37, 54 

Discourses: The Woes 100 

Marriage and Divorce 83, 98 

The Great Commandment 99 

Tribute Money 98 

Doctors in the Temple 20 

Elisabeth, mother of John the Baptist 6 

Ephraim 88 

Feasts 18 

Fig tree 94 

Flight into Egypt 14 

Gadarenes 52 



vi INDEX— Continued. 

PAGE 

Garden of Gethscmane Ill 

Genu* saret, Land of 57 

Golgotha 122 

Herod Antipas 46, 55, 76, 117 

Herod the Great 12 

Herodias, wife of Herod 55 

Isaiah 5 

Jacob's Well 29 

James, the Apostle 26, 88 

James the Just 17* J 3i 

James the Less 37, 124 

Jericho 89 

John, the Apostle 26, 88 

John the Baptist 8, 24, 46, 55 

John Mark, a disciple 106, 1 12 

Joseph, husband of Mary 17 

Joseph of Arimathea 124 

Judas Iscariot 105, 1 15 

Jude 17 

Laborers in the vineyard 84 

Lake of Gennesaret 31 

Last Supper 106 

Lazarus 68, 82, 85 

Lord's Prayer 74 

Luke, a disciple 127 

Machaerus fortress 55 

Martha, sister of Lazarus 68, 81 

Marriage at Cana of Ga ilee 27 

Marrfagej discourse on 83, 98 

Mary Magdalene 47 

Mary, mother of Jesus 7 

Mary, mother of James and Joees 123, 125 

Mary, sister of Lazarus.. 68, 81, 91 

Mary, the Virgin 7 

Mattluw. the Apostle 34 

Miracles: Bartimaeus healed 89 

Blind men healed 54 

Blind man of Bethsaida healed 61 

Blind from birth healed 60 

Blind and dumb healed 48 

Centurion's servant healed 45 

1 laughter of Gent lie woman healed 59 

I leaf and dumb cured 60, 75 

1 )emoniaes cured 52, 63 

J fraught of fishes 130 

ding of five thousand 56 

Pig tree blasted 94 



INDEX— Continued. vi- 

PAGE 

Miracles; Impotent man at Bethesda healed 35 

Jairus' daughter healed 53 

Lazarus raised from dead 85 

Lepers healed 33, 74 

Lunatic child healed 63 

Malehus' ear healed 112 

Man with dropsy healed 77 

Man with palsy heated 33 

Man with withered hand healed 36 

Money in fish's mouth 64 

Nobleman's son healed 30 

Peter's wife's mother healed 32 

Storm stilled 51 

Unclean spirit healed 32 

Walking on the sea 57 

Water made wine 27 

Widow's son at Nain raised . . . ._ 45 

Woman with issue of blood healed 53 

Woman with infirmity healed 76 

Mount of Olives 68, 81 100, 104 

Nathaniel, the Apostle 26 

Nazareth 16 

Nicodemus 28, 68, 124 

Palestine 6 

Parables: Drawn net 50 

Good Samaritan 80 

Good shepherd 71 

Goodly pearl 50 

Great supper 77 

Hidden treasure 50 

House built on a rock, etc 44 

Laborers in the vineyard 84 

Leaven 50 

Lighted candle 51 

Lost sheep 78 

Marriage of the king's son 96 

Mustard seed 50 

Pharisee and Publican 82 

Prodigal son 78 

Rich fool 75 

Rich young man 83 

Sheep and goats 103 

Sower 49 

Talents 102 

Tares 49 

Ten virgins 101 

Two debtors 47 



viii INDEX— Concluded. 

PAGE 

Parables: ' Unmerciful servant 65 

Unprofitable servant 102 

Vine and branches 104 

Wedding feast 96 

Wicked husbandmen 95 

Passover 20, 27 

Peter, the Apostle 26, 108 

Philip, the Apostle 26, 56, 108 

Pilate, the Roman governor 115, 125 

Resurrection 126 

vSabbath 36, 77 

Sadducees 98 

Salome 88, 1 23 

Samaritan woman 29 

Sanhedrin 87, 113 

Sea of Galilee 31 

Sermon on the Mount 38 

Sermon from a boat 49 

Seventy, the 73 

Shepherds 9 

Sidon 59 

Simeon 11 

Simon of Cyrene 121 

Simon, the Canaanite 37 

Simon, the Pharisee 47 

Star of Bethlehem 13 

Supper, the last 106 

Temple 20 

Temptation 25 

Thaddaeus 37 

Thomas 37 

Tibei ias, town of 46 

Transfigui a ion 62 

Trial before Caiaphas 113 

Trial before Pilate 116 

Tribute money 65, 98 

Twelve, the 26, 37. 54 

Ti iumphal entry 92 

Tyre 57 

Walk to Emmaus 128 

Wedding feast 96 

Widow's mite, j 99 

Wise men 12 

Woe^ the 100 

Youth of The Christ 22 

Zachai ias, the priest 6 

Zaccheus. the publican 89 

Zebedee 26 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER I, 



BIRTH FORETOLD— JOHN THE BAPTIST. 

God made our earth over six thousand years ago. He saw 
that all things were good. Then He gave man rule over the 
things of earth and free will to choose between good and 
evil. But men chose evil rather than good. Over three thou- 
sand years passed by and the world grew very wicked. 
Then there arose a great prophet whose name was Isaiah. 
He dwelt in Judah, a province of Palestine at the east end 
of the Mediterranean or Great Sea. He lived seven hundred 
and forty years before Christ and came to be a great 
preacher and prophet in his old age. He preached to the 
people boldly and foretold future events for them. He 
scolded them for their lust and greed and plead with them 
to turn from evil ways. The people went to hear him, but 
they doubted what he told them and asked him for a sign. 
He said, "God will give you a sign : 

"Behold, a virgin shall bear a Son and shall call his name 
Immanuel. He shall eat butter and honey that he may know 
how to refuse the evil and do the good. 

"For unto us a child is to be born, unto us a son is« to be 
given, and the rule of the nation shall be upon his shoulders, 
and his name shall be called The Prince of Peace. 

"He shall come forth from the line of Jesse, the father 
of David. Behold, he is given for a witness and a leader to 
the people. 

"Then the eyes of the blind shall see and the ears of the 
deaf shall hear. Then shall the lame leap as a deer and the 
tongue of the dumb shall sing." 



6 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

In the course of time the old prophet passed away, but 
his words kept ringing in the ears of the people. Many came 
to believe those words and began to look for the Coming 
of the Christ. 

Seven hundred and fifty years passed by. Palestine, 
the land of the Hebrews with its province of Judah, fell 
into the hands of the Romans. Judah came to be called 
Judea and was made a part of the great Roman Empire. 
Augustus Caesar was Emperor of Rome at the time and 
Herod, who was called The Great, was made King of 
Judea. During all of these years the stirring words of the 
old prophet had passed from lip to lip and been handed 
down from father to son. 

In the days of Herod, called The Great, there was a cer- 
tain priest named Zacharias who lived at Hebron, about fif- 
teen miles southwest of Jerusalem. His wife was named 
Elisabeth. Both were righteous and walked blameless be- 
fore God. They were both very old and had no children. 
About a year before the birth of Christ the time came for 
Zacharias to burn incense in the great temple at Jerusa- 
lem. While he was doing this service many people were 
in the court without, praying, and an angel of the Lord 
came and stood on the right side of the altar and Zacha- 
rias was afraid. But the angel said to him, "Fear not, for 
your prayer has been heard and your wife, Elisabeth, shall 
bear you a son, and you shall call his name John, and you 
and many shall rejoice at his birth. He shall be great in 
the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong 
drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit from his 
birth. And he shall go before with the spirit and power 
of Elijah, the prophet, and shall turn the hearts of the 
fathers to the children and the wicked to wisdom and the 
children of Israel to the Lord." And the old priest said, 
"How shall I know this? I am an old man and my wife 
IS well stricken in years." Then the angel said, "I am Gabriel, 






34 30' 

PALESTINE 

IN THE TIME OF 

CHRIST 

Illustrating 
THE FOI'K G08PKL8 

SCALE OF MILE8 

5 10 15 20 25 30 35 

• Citie- of tlic Decapolis 










THE 



GREAT 



SEA 



C.S. HAMMOND & CO..N.Y. 



3433 



Longitude East 35 30' from Greenwich 36 c 



36 30' 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 7 

sent to show you these glad tidings, and because you do 
not believe my words, behold, you shall be dumb until these 
things have come to pass." 

The people without waited for Zacharias and began to 
wonder why he stayed so long in the temple. When he 
came out he was dumb and could not speak, but he told 
the people by signs that he had seen a vision in the temple. 
He stayed speechless and as soon as the season for his ser- 
vice in the temple came to an end he went away to his own 
home at Hebron. 

At this same time there lived in the city of Nazareth, in 
the province of Galilee, a virgin named Mary. She was 
under promise of marriage to a man named Joseph, who 
was of the line of descent from King David. One day the 
angel named Gabriel came to Mary and said, "Hail, Mary, 
blessed are you among women ! You have found favor 
with God. Behold, you shall bring forth a Son and shall 
call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called 
the Son of God; and God shall give him the throne of his 
father David, and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 
And behold, Elisabeth, your cousin, shall bear a son in her 
old age." When Mary came to know the meaning of what 
the angel told her,, she said, "Behold the handmaid of the 
Lord ! Let it be un,to me as thou hast said." And the angel 
left her. And Mary arose and went to the city of Hebron 
and to the house of Zacharias to salute her cousin, Elisa- 
beth. When Elisabeth heard the message of the angel to 
Mary she felt her babe leap for joy and she said, "Whence 
is this honor to me, that the mother of the Lord should 
come to me?" 

Then Mary said, 

"My soul doth praise the Lord 

And my spirit doth rejoice in my Savior, 

For he doth regard the low estate of his 

handmaid. 
Henceforth all people shall call me blessed." 



8 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

And it came to pass ere long that Elisabeth's full time 
came and she brought forth a son. When her friends and 
kindred heard that a child had been born to Elisabeth in 
her old age they came to rejoice with her. And when the 
child was eight days old they circumcised him and wanted 
to choose a name for him. Some said, "Name him Zacharias 
after the name of his father. " But his mother said, "Not so, 
but he shall be called John, ,, But they said, "None of your 
kindred are called by that name," and they asked Zacharias 
by signs what he wanted the child called. And the old 
priest took a writing tablet and wrote upon it, "His name 
is John;" and they were filled with wonder. Then straight- 
way Zacharias' tongue was loosed and he gave glory to 
God and said, 

"He shall be called the prophet of the 
Highest, 

For he shall go before the face of the 
Lord 

To make ready his way; 

To give light to them that sit in darkness, 

And to guide our feet in the ways of peace." 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER II, 



BIRTH— VISIT OF SHEPHERDS— HAILED' AS THE CHRIST. 

In a few months it came to pass that Augustus Caesar 
sent out a decree that all people of the Roman Empire 
should be taxed. Every man had to go to the city of his 
fathers for that purpose. So Joseph took Mary who had 
become his wife, and went from Nazareth down to Bethle- 
hem, the city of David, because he was of the house of 
David. It was more than seventy-five miles from Nazareth 
to Bethlehem. Very many people had to gather at the city 
of David. And when Joseph and Mary reached there great 
throngs had come ahead of them and there was no room 
to be had at the inn. And while they were there the time 
came that Mary should give birth to her child. There be- 
ing no room at the inn, they found a place to lodge in a 
stable which was a cave hewn in the limestone rock in 
the side of a hill. In this stable Mary brought forth her 
first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and 
laid him in a manger. 

There were in that country shepherds abiding in the 
fields keeping watch over their flocks by night and the 
angel of the Lord came to them and the glory of the Lord 
shone around about them and they were sore afraid. But 
the angel said to them, "Fear not, for I bring you good tid- 
ings of great joy which shall be to all people. Unto you 
is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is 
Christ the Lord. This shall be a sign to you: you shall 
find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a man- 
ger." Then suddenly there was with the angel a great host 
from heaven praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the 
highest, peace on earth and good will to men/' 



io LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

Then the shepherds said to each other, "Let us go to 
Bethlehem quickly and see what it is that has come to pass." 
And they made haste and went to the city and found Mary 
and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger. And when 
the shepherds found that the things which had been told 
about the child were true, they made the sayings known 
abroad. And the people who heard them were filled with 
wonder, but Mary, mindful of the promise which the angel 
had given her, kept all those sayings in her heart. And the 
shepherds went back to their flocks giving glory to God 
for all they had seen and heard. 

The Hebrews lived under the law of Moses. Hun- 
dreds of years before God had made a promise to Abraham 
that The Christ should descend from his people. He made 
circumcision a token of that promise. And tinder the law 
of Moses every male child on pain of death had to be cir- 
cumcised when eight days old. So when the child was 
eight days old Joseph and Mary kept that token and named 
the child Jesus as the angel had told Mary. 

And under the law of Moses every mother when her child 
was forty days old had to appear in the temple at Jerusalem 
and present him to the Lord. Jerusalem was about six 
miles north of Bethlehem. So when the time came Joseph 
and Mary took the child, Jesus, and went up to Jerusalem 
to present him in the great temple. The law also said that 
parents who were able should offer in the temple a year- 
ling lamb and a young pigeon or turtle dove; but that those 
who were not able to obtain a lamb might offer two pig- 
eons or two turtle doves. So Joseph and Mary brought a 
pair of young pigeons or turtle doves and did offer them 
to the priest for the service of the temple. 

And Jesus, being a first born son, was bound to perform 
the service of the temple or secure a release from it from 
the priest. The home of Joseph and Mary at Nazareth was 
far from Jerusalem, so they paid the priest five shekels, 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. n 

which amounts to between three and four dollars, to get 
release from the service of the temple. 

At this time there was living in Jerusalem an old man 
whose name was Simeon. He was a just and devout man 
and the holy spirit was upon him. Some say he was an 
old high priest. The holy spirit had given him a promise 
that he should not die until he had seen The Christ. And 
old Simeon led by the spirit came into the temple just 
when Joseph and Mary were bringing the child, Jesus, in 
to present him to the Lord. When Simeon saw the child 
he rose and took him up in his arms and blessed God and 
said, 

"Now, Lord, let thy servant depart, 

As thy word has said, in peace ; 

For my eyes have seen thy salvation 

Made ready before the face of all people; 

A light to lighten the Gentiles 

And the glory of thy people, Israel." 

Joseph and Mary were filled with wonder at the words 
spoken by Simeon. And Simeon blessed them and said to 
Mary: "Behold this' child is set for the fall and rising again 
of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken 
against that the thoughts of many hearts may be opened; 
and sorrow shall pierce your soul also." 

At the same time one Anna, a prophetess, came into the 
temple. She was of the tribe of Aser and a widow and 
very old. She seldom left the temple and served God with 
fasting and prayer night and day. When she saw the 
child, Jesus, she also gave thanks unto the Lord and hailed 
him as the one sent to redeem Israel. Then Joseph and 
Mary did present the child to the Lord and finish their 
service in the temple. And bearing the words of Simeon 
and of Anna in their hearts, they took the child and went 
back down to Bethlehem. 



i2 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER III. 

WISE MEN FROM EAST— FLIGHT FROM HEROD. 

A short time after Joseph and Mary had taken the young 
child back to Bethlehem certain wise men came from the 
East to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he that is born King of 
the Jews? We have seen the rising of his star and have 
come to do him homage. " These men were called Magi. 
They were astrologers, that is, men learned in the science 
of the stars as it was in that day. Some say there were 
three wise men and others that there were twelve. They 
came from Persia or some other Eastern Country. These 
Magi had a belief that the coming of great events and the 
birth of noted persons could be foretold by some star or 
comet or other sign among the bodies of the heavens. And 
they had been led by a great new star from their own 
country on a journey of some months to Jerusalem. It is 
likely also that they had heard of the words of the old 
prophet Isaiah, saying that one should be born King of the 
Jews. In that day there were Hebrews living in every 
country about Palestine, and the people of other nations 
had learned from them to look for the coming of The 
Christ. 

At this time Herod was King of Judea, and lived in 
great splendor in his new palace on the hill of Zion in the 
city of Jerusalem. He was an old man and had grown more 
cruel as the years passed by. During his latter years he 
caused the murder of Mariamne, one of his wives, and of 
three of his sons as well as many of the best people of Judea. 
A short time before this many Jews had refused to take an 
oath to obey the laws of the Roman Empire, claiming that 
God had decreed that Herod should soon be driven from the 
throne to make way for a new King of the Jews. So when 




THE PERRY PICTURES. 
BOSTON EDITION. 



1067. C. 



MOTHER AND CHILD 

DETAIL. 



FROM PAINTING BY BODENHAUSEN. 
COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY EUGENE A. PERRY. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 13 

Herod heard that wise men had come from the East, seeking 
one to be born King of the Jews, he was greatly troubled 
and all Jerusalem with him. And he sent and had all the 
chief priests and scribes brought before him and asked them 
where The Christ should be born. And they said, in Bethle- 
hem of Judea, for it was so written by our prophet, Micah, 
seven hundred years ago. Then Herod sent in secret and 
called the wise men and asked them the exact time when 
they had first seen the star. They told him and then he said 
to them, "Go to Bethlehem and search closely for the young 
child, and when you have found him bring me word, that I 
may go and worship him also." When the wise men had 
heard the king they left, and lo, the star which they saw at 
its rise went before them. 

Some say that the star was a special star or comet set in 
the heavens to attract the Magi from the East and guide 
them on their long journey in search for the one born King 
of the Jews. Others say that the wondrous star was the 
near-junction of the large planets Jupiter and Saturn and 
the smaller planet Mars, at a time when Jupiter and Saturn 
are closest to our earth and brightest; that there was a 
near-junction of these three planets about this time was 
first found out by Johann Kepler, a noted German astrono- 
mer, in 1603. He found that this near-junction takes place 
only once in eight hundred years and that it did so about 
the time of the birth of Christ. It is said that the three 
planets in passing along their courses reached this near- 
junction during the months of May, October and December, 
making a wondrous array of starlight splendor. Some also 
say that with this near-junction of these three planets a 
brilliant new, fleeting star of strange colors came into view. 
And so, many believe that God used this gorgeous array of 
starlight splendor to rouse the sleeping shepherds from their 
watching and call them to witness the babe in the manger, 
and to attract the wise men from the East and guide them 



i 4 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

on their long journey to Jerusalem and to Bethlehem to 
witness the coming of The Christ. 

When the wise men left King Herod and saw the star 
again they were filled with great joy and the star went 
before them until it came and stood over where the young 
child was. And when they were come into the house they 
saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell 
down and did worship him, and they took treasures which 
they had brought from their own country and made him 
rich gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. 

After this God warned the wise men that they should 
not return to Herod as they had been told to do ; so they 
left and went back to their own country by another way. 
And when the wise men had gone an angel of the Lord came 
and warned Joseph, saying, "Arise and take the young child 
and his mother and flee into Egypt and stay there until I 
bring you word, for Herod is seeking the young child to 
destroy him. ,, So Joseph took the child and its mother at 
night and set out upon a secret journey and went into Egypt 
and abode there. 

When Herod found that he had been mocked by the wise 
men he became very angry and made a decree that all male 
children under two years of age in and about Bethlehem 
should be slain. And he sent his soldiers forth and they put 
to death all male children of that age which they could find. 
Herod did this so as to be sure to destroy the young child 
who was to become King of the Jews, for he feared that his 
own throne might be taken from him by the new king 
which was to come. 

In a short time Herod died. During his last sickness he 
had his oldest son slain because he was the heir to the 
throne and had all the leaders of the Jews called and put in 
prison. Then he gave his sister, Salome, a secret order that 
the leaders of the Jews should be killed at the moment of his 
death. He knew that no one would shed tears for him and 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 15 

it is said he wanted to make his death a time of great 
mourning. Herod died in a torment of disease. When he died 
Salome did not obey his order, but instead had the leaders of 
the Jews set free and the day of Herod's death was more a 
day of joy than of sorrow. 



1 6 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER IV. 



RETURN TO NAZARETH— CHILDHOOD— JEWISH FEASTS— 
VISIT TO JERUSALEM. 

After Herod's death the angel of the Lord again came to 
Joseph, who was then in Egypt, and said, "Arise and take 
the young child and his mother and go into the land of Is- 
rael, for Herod is now dead." And Joseph arose and took the 
young child and his mother and went into the land of Israel. 
But on the way he learned that Archelaus, the son of Herod, 
was upon the throne in the place of his father. Archelaus 
was known to be cruel like his father and Joseph was afraid 
to go again into Judea and he turned aside and went around 
Judea and on into Galilee and took up his abode in the city 
of Nazareth. Galilee was not under the rule of Archelaus, 
the king of Judea. 

Nazareth was the former home of Joseph and Mary. It 
lies in a round valley among the limestone hills of Galilee. 
In a direct line it is about sixty-five miles north of Jeru- 
salem but much farther by road. It was then a town of 
some size. Today it is a city of about ten thousand people. 
In the spring gardens and groves of olive, fig, orange and 
other trees and many flowers of many kinds make the place 
one of much beauty. The main entrance to the town is 
through a rocky cleft in the hills leading up from the fertile 
plains to the south. The people till these plains and live 
largely upon the crops grown upon them. To the north lies 
a high hill five hundred feet above the valley. From it one 
gets a grand view of mountains and plains which might well 
inspire thoughts for things beyond. On the side of one hill 
IS a living spring known to this day as the Fountain of the 
Virgin. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 17 

We know little of the early childhood of The Christ. The 
gospels are almost silent on the subject. There are later 
writings which pretend to tell of his early childhood. They 
relate stories of many wondrous things done by him. One 
tells how he molded birds of clay and made them fly by 
clapping his hands ; one, how by pulling a board, he made it 
long enough to span a branch; one, how he carried in his 
robe water that had been spilled; one, how he turned his 
playmates into kids ; one, how he brought a curse upon boys 
who ran against him ; and others tell even more absurd 
things. These stories are aimless and useless and scholars 
tell us that these later writings are not worthy of belief. 

But there are some things we do know about his child- 
hood. His father, Joseph, was a carpenter. He had four 
brothers, whose names were James and Joses and Simon and 
Jude, and at least two sisters, whose names are said to have 
been Esther and Thamar. Some say that these were full 
brothers and sisters and that Jesus was, therefore, the oldest 
child. Others say that they were half brothers and sisters 
or first cousins who lived in the same household. James 
was the author of the book of James and became known as 
James the Just. Jude was the author of the book of Jude 
of the New Testament. 

Jesus began to learn from the Jewish home in Nazareth, 
then from the affairs of the town and then from nature 
around about. He learned early how a hen gathers her 
chickens under her wing. He saw the sower sow good seed 
in the field. He saw men trim the branches of vines and 
collect the tares from out the wheat at harvest time. In the 
fields he saw the shepherds guarding their flocks and he 
beheld the lilies of the field in their calm beauty. The study 
of nature took strong hold upon him. He used to follow the 
birds of the air and watch them hunt their food and build 
their nests in the safe places of the trees. He would trail 
the sly foxes and find their homes in holes under the lime- 
stone rock in the sides of the hills. 



1 8 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

Long before he could go to school he learned to observe 
home worship and the sabbath and feast days. 

About our month of March came the feast of Purim, 
which lasted two days. It was in honor of Esther, the Jew- 
ish maid, who, on account of her rare beauty, became Queen 
of Persia and saved her people there from being slain under 
a decree of the king and caused Haman, the author of the 
decree, to be hanged on a high gallows. During the feast 
the people read the story of Esther and made merry. 

About our month of April came the feast of the Passover, 
which lasted seven days. It was held in the great temple at 
Jerusalem in memory of the time when the Hebrews were 
bondsmen in the land of Egypt and the plague passed over 
and slew the first born, both man and beast, of every house, 
except where blood had been sprinkled on the door posts as 
God had told Moses. During the feast all care was laid aside 
and the feast was one of good cheer, after the law of Moses. 

About our month of June came the feast of Weeks or 
Wheat Harvest. It began seven weeks after the Passover 
and lasted for only one day. The people brought loaves of 
bread and lambs to offer in the temple and made gifts for 
the priests and the orphans and the poor. 

About our month of October came the feast of Taber- 
nacles, which lasted seven days. It was held in memory of 
the time when the ancient Jews roamed forty years in the 
wilderness after their escape from bondage in Egypt. Each 
pilgrim to the feast took with him boughs of olive or palm 
or willow or some green tree, and during the feast the peo- 
ple dwelt in booths made of leafy boughs and gave thanks 
for the bounties of the harvest. Great lights were placed 
in one of the courts of the temple. And men, women and 
children dressed in gay attire and met in the lighted court 
of the temple and made merry music and did rejoice with 
each other. This was the most joyous feast of all. 




the perry pictures. 10 6 9 
boston edition. 



FROM PAINTING BY WINTERSTEIN. 



THE C H R 1ST- CHILD. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 19 

In the middle of the winter came the feast of Dedication, 
which lasted eight days. It was held in honor of the purging 
of the temple when the Syrians were driven out of Jeru- 
salem one hundred and sixty-seven years before Christ. The 
law did not require the people to go to Jerusalem to observe 
this feast, but they could do so at their homes. It was often 
called the feast of Lights. Every home was lighted with 
candles. One candle was lighted the first night, two the 
second and so on to eight the eighth night. 

And there were many other feasts, some of joy and some 
of sorrow, all of which made a lasting impress upon the mind 
of the boy Jesus. 

The Jewish boy began lessons when he was five or six 
years old. The old scripture, the Laws of Moses and the 
rites of the temple and the feasts were among the things 
taught him. The Jews had a rule that people should not 
make copies of any part of the Bible, lest errors should arise 
in doing it. But teachers were given special leave to copy 
certain psalms and other portions to teach the children. 
Jewish children, had to learn many portions of scripture. 
Some were like this: 



c O, sing unto the Lord a new song; 

Sing unto the Lord all the earth. 

Declare his glory among the heathen, 

His wonders among all people; 

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised ; 

He is to be feared above all gods. 

'Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad; 
Let the sea roar and the fullness thereof; 
Let the field be joyful and all that is therein; 
Then, shall all the trees of the wood rejoice be- 
fore the Lord, 



20 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth. 
He shall judge the world with rule of right, 
And the people with his truth." 

Thus Jesus spent his young childhood. And Luke says 
that he grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom 
and the grace of God was upon him. 

The Jewish boy became of age at thirteen years. Before 
that the law did not require him to attend the feasts or 
strictly observe other rites. At this age he had to study the 
law and obey it, and he became known as a son of the law. 
As long as he was under thirteen his parents had the right 
to sell him as a slave, but they could not do so after he be- 
came a son of the law. At thirteen he had to begin to learn 
some trade. 

Every spring Joseph and Mary went up to the feast of 
the Passover at Jerusalem, along with many other Nazar- 
enes. They went in small bands. And when Jesus became 
twelve years of age they took him with them and went up 
to Jerusalem to the feast in the great temple. 

The temple was large and splendid. It had many showy 
rooms, courts, porches and altars, and massive walls and 
columns. Both Jerusalem and the temple were wondrous 
sights for the boy from the country town or village. In the 
temple were many priests who took turns holding the serv- 
ice of the altar. There were also doctors of the law who 
would lecture and teach those seeking knowledge. When 
Joseph and Mary had done their temple service at Jerusalem 
they started with their pilgrim friends back toward Naz- 
areth. But the boy, Jesus, tarried behind in Jerusalem and 
Joseph and Mary knew not of it. And they went a day's 
journey without him. When they missed him and could not 
find him among their kindred and friends they turned back 
to Jerusalem seeking him. After three days' search they 
found him in the temple sitting in the midst of the doctors, 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 21 

hearing thein and asking them questions. And all that 
heard him did wonder at his knowledge and answers. And 
when Joseph and Mary saw him they were filled with sur- 
prise, but Mary said to him, "Son, why have you dealt thus 
with us? Your father and I have sought you with sorrow. " 
And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did 
you not know that I must be about my Father's affairs ?" 
They did not know what he meant, but he went down with 
them to Nazareth and was subject to them. And Mary kept 
all these sayings in her heart. 



22 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER V. 



YOUTH AND YOUNG MANHOOD. 

The gospels tell us little about the youth and young man- 
hood of The Christ. But we know many things about that 
part of his life. When Jesus became a son of the law at 
thirteen he had both to learn the law and obey it. It was 
the duty of his father to teach him at that age. From the 
esteem in which Joseph was held we can assume that this 
duty was well done. There was a proverb of that time 
which said, "Unite the study of the law with a trade and it 
will keep you out of sin, but study alone will bring danger 
and want of content. " So when Jesus began the study of 
the law he also began to learn the trade of a carpenter. 
Trades in that day were held in honor as they should be. 
He learned the trade from his father, Joseph, who was a 
carpenter before him. One writer says that Joseph died 
when Jesus was nineteen years old. It is likely then that he 
became the main support of his mother and the children. The 
carpenter of that day had planes, chisels, axes and many of 
the simple tools used by our carpenters of today. Most of 
the houses then were built of stone or blocks of sand or 
clay. Some were caverns made in the limestone in the sides 
of the hills. The roofs were nearly always flat, and those 
on the humbler houses were made of mud and straw. So, 
for the most part, the carpenter made doors, lattice and the 
finish work of houses and carts, yokes and plows and many 
tools used in tilling the land. Thus Jesus toiled during the 
years of his young manhood, shaping rough timbers from 
the hills into things of use and beauty and earning support 
for his mother, Mary. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 23 

In youth he went to the schools of Nazareth. Many races 
of people lived there and many languages were spoken. His 
native tongue was the Aramaic. It was kin to the Hebrew 
and the one in common use. He also learned Hebrew, the 
first language in which the old scripture was written. Then 
he learned Greek, which could express the thoughts of men 
better than any other. Some say he also learned Latin, 
which was the language of the Romans, who then held sway 
over Palestine and many other countries. He learned the 
law first from his father, and then from the Rabbis, who 
were the teachers of that time. Nazareth had only one Jew- 
ish church. It was called the synagogue. The school and 
the church of that day were one in fact. The old Bible was 
the main text book in the school. Much time was given to 
reading from the law of Moses and from the prophets. Chil- 
dren, as well as grown people, learned large parts of it by 
heart. There were many services in the temple, and they 
were long and tiresome. The laws of Moses were old even 
in that day, and did not fully cover all of the acts and the 
habits of the people. Hence many customs had come down 
from the fathers and many rules had been made by the 
Rabbis for the people to live by. None of these were in 
writing. So they had to be taught by word of mouth. Thus 
the Hebrew youths of Nazareth, while subjects of Caesar 
and living under the standards of Rome, spent their years 
learning the ancient customs of their fathers and the set 
rules of life laid down by the Rabbis. Among these young 
Hebrews who were seeking after the letter of the law with 
little regard for the spirit of it, Jesus spent his youth and 
young manhood. And he grew in wisdom and stature and 
in favor with God and man. 



24 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER VI. 



BAPTISM— TEMPTATION— DISCIPLES CHOSEN— FIRST MIRACLE. 

Luke tells us that John, the son of Zacharias and Elisa- 
beth, grew and waxed strong in spirit. We know little of 
his youth. He was six months older than Jesus. They were 
cousins, yet it seems they knew little of each other in their 
early years. John was reared at Hebron, in Judea, which is 
nearly one hundred miles from Nazareth. This long dis- 
tance and the poor means of travel in that day may account 
for the fact that they knew little of each other. The home 
of John was in a wild, thinly peopled country, west of the 
Dead Sea. In this desert life he spent his young manhood. 
When he was about thirty years old he went up into the 
country around Bethabara in the valley of the Jordan river 
preaching. Bethabara was about sixty miles northeast of 
Jerusalem. He wore the dress of the old prophets, a gar- 
ment woven of camel's hair, held with a leather girdle about 
the loins. He lived on locusts and wild honey, which was 
the food of his native wilds. And many people from Jeru- 
salem and Judea and all the region round about Jordan came 
to see John and to hear him preach. 

And the leaders of the Jews at Jerusalem sent certain 
priests to see John and to find out who he was, and they 
came and said, "Are you The Christ ?" John said, "I am 
not." Then they said, "Are you Elijah?" And John said, 
"No; I am the voice of him crying in the wilderness: 

Repent ye, the kingdom of Heaven is at hand; 

Prepare ye the way of the Lord, 

Make his paths straight. 

Every valley shall be filled, 

And every hill shall be brought low. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 25 

The crooked shall be made straight, 
And the rough ways shall be made smooth. " 
And many people did confess their sins, and for a sign did 
receive baptism of John. And the people began to wonder 
whether John were The Christ that should come. But John 
said, "I baptize you with water; in your midst stands ont 
more mighty than I, whom you know not, who comes after 
me ; the latchet of his shoes I am not worthy to unloose ; 
he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit." And John became 
known as John the Baptist. 

And in those same days while John did baptize the peo- 
ple, Jesus came from Galilee to receive the baptism of John. 
Jesus was now about thirty years old and only about six 
months younger than John. And John said, "Why do you 
come to me? I have need to receive baptism of you." Jesus 
said, "Suffer me now, for it becomes us to fulfill all right- 
eous things." Then John, in order to witness the divine in 
Jesus, did baptize him in the Jordan in the presence of many 
people. Then Jesus prayed and the heavens did open and 
the Holy Spirit came down upon him like a dove and a voice 
came out of the heavens, saying, "This is my beloved Son, 
in whom I am well pleased." 

Thus John the Baptist was the herald of Jesus, The 
Christ. 

Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, went away from 
the valley of the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the 
wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and when he had 
fasted forty days and forty nights, he became hungry. Then 
the tempter came and said, "If you are the Son of God, com- 
mand that this stone be made bread." But Jesus said, "It 
is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 
word that comes from the mouth of God." 

Then the tempter took him up into a very high mountain 
and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment 
of time, and said to him, "All the power and glory of these 



26 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

things I will give you, if you will only fall down and wor- 
ship me." But Jesus said, "Get behind me, Satan; for it is 
written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only 
shalt thou serve. " 

Then the tempter placed him on the wing of the temple 
in Jerusalem and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, 
cast yourself down from here ; for it is written, He shall give 
his angels charge over you, to keep you, and they shall bear 
you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a 
stone." But Jesus said, "It is also written, Thou shalt not 
try the Lord thy God." 

Then the tempter, having ceased tempting him, left him 
and went away, and angels came and cared for him. 

Then Jesus came back to the valley of the Jordan where 
John was. When John saw him coming he said, "Behold 
the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" 
And some of John's disciples heard him say this. Among 
them were Andrew and John, the author of the fourth 
gospel, who was a son of Zebedee. In some way they were 
drawn toward Jesus and they said to him, "Where do you 
dwell?" He said, "Come and see." And they went and 
abode with him that day. 

And one day after that Jesus was walking by the Sea of 
Galilee and saw Andrew and his brother, Simon, who is 
called Peter, casting their net into the sea, for they were 
fishers; and he said to them, "Follow me and I will make 
you fishers of men ;" and straightway they left their nets 
and did follow him. Then a little later he saw James and 
John, the sons of Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called 
to them and said, "Follow me ;" and they left their boat and 
their father and did follow Jesus. Then Jesus went forth 
into Galilee and found Philip of Bethsaida and said to him, 
"Follow me." And Philip did follow him also. Then Philip 
went and found Nathaniel and said, "We have found Jesus of 
Nazareth, who is The Christ." Nathaniel said, "Can any 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 27 

good thing" come out of Nazareth?" Philip said, "Come and 
see." And when Jesus saw Nathaniel coming, he said, "Be- 
hold a Jew in whom there is no guile. " Then Nathaniel 
said, "How did you know me?" Jesus said, "I saw you 
under the fig tree before Philip called you." And Nathaniel 
said, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God." 

In a short time after Jesus had called these disciples 
there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus and his dis- 
ciples were bidden to the marriage. In those times a mar- 
riage feast lasted for at least one or two days. Jesus and 
his disciples went to the wedding, and Mary, the mother of 
Jesus, was there. During the feast the wine gave out and 
Mary said to Jesus, "They have no more wine." Jesus said 
to her, "O woman, what is that to you and me? My time 
has not yet come." But his mother said to the servants, 
"Do what he bids you." And Jesus said, "Set forth six stone 
water jars." And they did so. Then Jesus said, "Now fill 
the jars |with water." And they filled them to the brim. 
Then he said, "Draw out now and bear to the ruler of the 
feast." And they did so, and the water became wine. When 
the' ruler of the feast tasted the water that had been made 
wine and knew not whence it was, he called the bridegroom 
and said, "Every man sets forth good wine first, but you 
have kept the good wine until last." 

This was the first miracle done by Jesus. And his dis- 
ciples began to believe on him. 

Then Jesus and his mother and brothers and his disciples 
went down to Capernaum. This was the home of Andrew 
and Peter. It was a thriving city on the west shore of the 
Sea of Galilee. They stayed there only a few days. It was 
now spring time and the feast of the Passover was near at 
hand, and Jesus and his disciples went with the concourse of 
people up to Jerusalem to attend the feast. While he was in 
Jerusalem he did other miracles and many who saw them 
did believe on him. But Jesus did not trust himself to them, 



28 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

for he knew what was in man and did not need that they 
should bear witness. 

Then there came to him by night a man named Nicode- 
mus, who was a ruler of the Jews,, and said, "Rabbi, we 
know that you are a teacher come from God, for no man 
could do these wonders unless God be with him." Then 
Jesus said to him, "Verily, I say unto you, except one be 
born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus 
said, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he 
enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 
Jesus said, "Except a man be born of water and of the 
Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That 
which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of 
the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, 'You 
must be born anew.' " 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 29 



CHAPTER VII 



TEACHING AND HEALING — MATTHEW CALLED. 

After these things Jesus and his disciples went away 
from Jerusalem into the country of Judea and he stayed 
there preaching for a long time, and his disciples did bap- 
tize those that came unto him. John was preaching and 
baptizing at Aenon in Samaria, but Jesus and his disciples 
were baptizing more than John. 

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus was baptizing so 
many people and began to talk about it Jesus and his dis- 
ciples left Judea and started back to Galilee. They had to 
go through Samaria, and on the way they came to a city of 
Samaria which is called Sychar. Near the city was a well 
dug deep in a solid rock. It was made by Jacob near land 
which he gave to his son, Joseph. The well was deep and 
had a stone curb over it. Jesus, being weary with travel, 
sat down on the curb of the well about noon. His disciples 
went away into the city to buy food. Then a woman of 
Samaria came to the well to draw water. Jesus said to her, 
"Give me to drink." She said, "How is it that you, being 
a Jew, ask a drink of me, a wq'man of Samaria? The Jews 
have no dealings with the Samaritans. " Jesus said to her, 
"If you knew the gift of God and who it is that says to you, 
'Give me to drink,' you would have asked him and he would 
have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, 
you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Whence 
have you the living water? Are you greater than our father 
Jacob, who gave us the well?" Jesus said, "He who drinks 
of the water of this well shall thirst again, but he who 
drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. 
The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of wa- 



3Q LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

ter springing- up into everlasting life." The woman 
said, "Sir, give me this water so that I will never thirst 
and not have to come here and draw." Jesus said, "Go call 
your husband and come hither." The woman said, "I have no 
husband." Jesus jsaid to her, "You have said truly, for you 
have had five husbands and he whom you now have is not 

lit husband." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive 
that you are a prophet. Our fathers did worship in this 
mountain but you Jews say men ought to worship in Jeru- 
salem." Jesus said. "Woman, the time will come when 
you shall worship neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 
God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him 
in spirit and truth." The woman said, "We know that The 
Christ will come and when he is come he will tell us all 
things." Jesus said to her, "'I, that speak to you, am he." 
Then the woman left her water pot and ran into the city 
and said to the men, "Come and see a man who told me 
all things that I ever (did. Is he not The Christ?" And 
many Samaritans came out of the city to where Jesus was 
and they besought him to tarry with them awhile and he 
abode there two days and the people of the city heard him 
teach and many did believe on him. 

Then after tw r o days Jesus left Sychar and went into 
Galilee and came again to Cana where he had made the 
water wine. At this time there lived at Capernaum a cer- 
tain ruler whose son was sick and at the point of death. 
When the ruler heard that Jesus had come again to Cana 
in Galilee he went and besought him to come down and 
heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus said 
to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not 
believe." Then the ruler said, "Sir, come before my child 
dies." Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." 
And the ruler did believe and started back to Capernaum. 
And as he went his servants met him saying, "Your son 
lives !" Then the ruler asked what hour the child began 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 31 

to mend and they told him at the seventh hour on the day 
before. Then the ruler knew that it was the same hour 
when Jesus said, "Thy son lives. " And the ruler and all 
his house did believe and gave glory to God. 

The fame of what Jesus had done spread through all 
the region round about. And he went from place to place 
teaching in the synagogues and all gave glory to his name. 
One day he came to Nazareth where he had been brought 
up and as his custom was he went to the synagogue on 
the Sabbath day and began to teach. And when those in 
the synagogue heard his teaching they were filled with sur- 
prise and said, "Whence has this man these things? Is 
not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of 
James and Joseph and Jude and Simon, and are not his 
sisters here among us?" And because of their unbelief 
he did no mighty work there except to lay his hands on 
a few that were sick and heal them. He did marvel at 
their unbelief and said, "A prophet is not without honor 
save in his own country and among his own kindred and 
in his own house. " And they were filled with wrath to- 
ward him and rose up and thrust him out of the city, and 
led him to the brow of the hill whereon the city stood to 
cast him down, but he passed through the midst of them 
and went his way. And from that day Nazareth was never 
his home again. 

And so Jesus left Nazareth and went down to Caper- 
naum, the home of Andrew and Peter, and dwelt there. 
Capernaum became his abode from which he did his work 
for a long time. It was a city of some size and stood on 
the west shore of the Sea of Galilee or Lake of Gennesaret, 
as it was often called. The region about the sea was a rich, 
thickly settled plain. Nine important cities stood on the 
shores of this sea. The people were busy fishing and rais- 
ing fruits. The climate was mild and balmy in spring but 
very hot in summer. This strange sea is about seven hun- 



32 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

dred feet below the level of the ocean. The Jordan river 
runs into it at the north end and passes out of it at the 
south end. 

On the first Sabbath day after Jesus reached Caper- 
naum he went into the synagogue and taught and the peo* 
pie did wonder at his doctrine. For his word was with 
power. And there was a man there who had an unclean 
spirit which cried out and said: "Let us alone! What 
have we to do with you? Are you come to destroy us? 
We know who you are, the holy one of God." And Jesus did 
rebuke the unclean spirit and said, "Come out of him." And 
when the unclean spirit had thrown the man down it came 
out of him and did him no hurt. And all that saw this did 
wonder, saying, "What a word is this? With power he com- 
mands unclean spirits and they come out." And at once 
his fame spread through all the regions about Galilee. 

When Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue they 
went into the house of Peter and Andrew. James and John 
were there. The mother of Peter's wife lay sick of a 
fever and they besought hirn to heal her. And he went 
and took her by the hand and lifted her up and at once the 
fever left her and she did serve for them. Then all those 
that had any sick brought thtm to him at the door and 
he laid hands upon the sick and healed them. 

Very early the next morning Jesus arose and went into 
a desert place. A great throng of people who had seen or 
heard of his wondrous works came and asked him not to 
depart from them. He taught them but said, "I must preach 
the kingdom of God to other cities also, for that I came 
forth." And he made a tour teaching in the synagogues 
throughout all Galilee. 

At another time a little later he stood by the Sea of Gal- 
ilee and the people pressed upon him to hear the word of 
God. There were two boats standing upon the edge of the 
sea and the men were out washing their nets. One boat 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 33 

was Peter's. Jesus went into it and asked Peter to thrust 
out a little from the land and Peter did so. Then Jesus 
sat down and taught the people out of the boat. And when 
he was done speaking he said to Peter, "Launch out into 
the deep and let down your net for a draught." But Peter 
said, "Master, we have toiled all the night and have caught 
nothing, but at thy word I will let down the net." And 
when they did so they caught a great number of fishes 
so that their net was about to break and they waved to 
James and John, their partners, in the other boat, to come 
and ^help them. James and John came and helped them, 
and both boats were filled until they were about to sink. 
All who were with them did wonder at the great draught 
of fishes and Peter fell down at Jesus' feet and said, "O 
Lord, depart from me, for I am a sinful man." Jesus said 
to him, "Fear not, henceforth you shall catch men." And 
when they tfiad brought their boats to the land they forsook 
all and did follow Jesus. 

Jesus and his diciples then went away to another city 
whose name has not been given us. While they were there 
a certain, leper came and fell down before Jesus and said, 
"If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And Jesus put 
forth his hand and touched him and said, "I will ; be clean." 
And at once the leper was cleansed. And Jesus charged 
him to tell no man, but to show himself to the priest and 
offer the things which Moses did command, but the man 
went away and began to publish it so much that great num- 
bers came to hear Jesus and to be healed. 

After some days Jesus came back to Capernaum. When 
it became known that he was in a certain house there, a 
great throng began to gather round so that there was no 
room to receive them, not even about the door. Among 
them were Pharisees and doctors of the law who had come 
from every town of Galilee and Judea. And Jesus began 
to preach the word to them within the house. And there 



34 LIFE OF THE CHRIST, 

came four men bearing a man sick with the palsy on a bed 
and as they could not bring the man in because of the 
throng, they went upon the top of the house and let him 
down in his bed through the tiling of the roof into the 
midst before Jesus. And when Jesus saw their faith he 
said, "Man, your sins are forgiven. " Then some of the 
Pharisees and doctors of the law began to say, "Who is this 
who blasphemes? Who can forgive sins but God alone ?" 
But Jesus did perceive their thoughts and said, "Which is 
the easier to say, 'Your sias are forgiven/ or to say, 'Rise 
up and walk?' That you may know that the Son of man 
has power on dearth to forgive sins, I say, 'Arise, take up 
your bed and go to your own house.' " And the sick man 
rose up before them and took up his bed and went to his 
own house giving glory to God. And all who saw it were 
filled with fear and wonder and said, "We have seen strange 
things today." 

Then Jesus went forth again from Capernaum to the 
seaside and as he passed along he saw a man named Mat- 
thew sitting near the gate of the city. He was a Publican 
who sat at the place of custom to collect taxes for the 
Roman Empire from the people who came to the city. 
Jesus looked upon Matthew and then said to him, "Follow 
me," and Matthew rose up and left all and went after Jesus. 
Soon after this Matthew made a great feast at his house 
and many Publicans who were with Jesus sat down with 
him and his disciples to eat. When the Scribes and Phari- 
sees saw it they said to his disciples, "Why does your master 
cat and drink with Publicans and sinners?" But Jesus said, 
"They that are well do not need a physician, but they that 
arc sick. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners 
to repent." 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 35 



CHAPTER VIII. 



BETHESDA— THE SABBATH— APOSTLES CHOSEN. 

It was now early spring. The feast of the Passover was 
again drawing near and Jesus and his disciples went up to 
Jerusalem to attend the feast. Jesus was now a little past 
thirty-one years old. While they were at the feast Jesus 
taught many people and did many wondrous works in Jeru- 
salem. 

One day they went to a place called Bethesda which was 
near the sheep market in Jerusalem. There were two pools 
there, side by side. They were closed in by a circle of five 
porches with many columns built out of tile or blocks about 
the pools. Bethesda means flouse of Mercy. It is said 
that the waters of one pool would bubble at times like 
some of the mineral springs of our day and that they had 
great healing powers. The people thought that the one 
who first went into the pool when the waters were troubled 
would receive healing from them. And a great many peo- 
ple, sick, blind, halt and withered, lay in the porches waiting 
for the moving of the waters. Among them was a certain 
man lying on his bed who had been stricken with disease 
for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw the man he knew 
that he had been stricken for a long time and said to him, 
"Would you be made whole?" The sick man said, "Sir, I 
have no one to- put me into the pool when the waters be- 
come troubled, and while I am getting down some one else 
steps in before me." Then Jesus said to him, "Arise, take 
up your bed and walk." And straightway the man was 
healed and took up his bed and walked. It was the Sabbath 
day and some of the Jews said, "It is not lawful for you to 
carry your bed on the Sabbath day." The man said, "He 



36 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

who healed me said for me to take up my bed and walk." 
They said, "Who is he?" But the man did not know Jesus' 
name. After that Jesus saw the man in the temple and said 
to him, "Behold, you are healed. Go and sin no more lest 
a worse thing befall you." Then the healed man learned 
who Jesus was and went away and told the Jews that it 
was Jesus who had healed him. And the Jews began to 
persecute Jesus because he healed on the Sabbath day. 

As they were going home after the Passover, Jesus and 
his disciples were passing through fields of wheat in Galilee 
on the Sabbath day. His disciples were hungry and began 
to pluck heads of wheat and to rub the grain out in their 
hands and eat it. Some Pharisees who were with them saw 
it and said to him, "Behold, your disciples do that which it 
is not lawful to do on the Sabbath day." Jesus said, "Have 
you not read how David and those with him w r hen they be- 
came hungry ate the showbread from the house of God, 
which it was not lawful to eat save for the priest alone? 
And have you not read how the priests in the temple pro- 
fane the Sabbath and yet are blameless? I say to you, the 
Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath. The 
Son of man is Lord, even, of the Sabbath." 

On one Sabbath after that Jesus went into a certain 
synagogue at Capernaum and began to teach. There was a 
man there who had a withered hand. The Scribes and Phari- 
sees watched Jesus to see if he would heal the man on the 
Sabbath day, that they might accuse him. But he knew 
their thoughts and said to the man, "Stand forth." The 
man did so and then Jesus said to them, "Is it lawful to do 
good on the Sabbath day or to do evil; to save life or to 
destroy it?" But they could not answer him. Then he 
said to the man, "Stretch forth your hand." And the man 
did so and it became whole like the other. Then those who 
wanted to accuse Jesus were filled with madness and took 






LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 37 

counsel what they might do to him. But he withdrew from 
that place and great crowds did follow him. 

One day soon after this he went into a mountain above 
the plains of Galilee to pray. After he had prayed to God 
for a long time he called his disciples to him and of them 
he chose twelve, whom he named Apostles. They were 
Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, 
the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother; Philip and Bar- 
tholomew, also called Nathaniel; Thomas, Matthew and 
James the Less, son of Alphaeus ; Thaddaeus and Simon 
the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot. 

And he gave them power over unclean spirits and to heal 
all manner of sickness and disease. 



38 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER IX. 



SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 

Again great crowds of people had come to him from 
Galilee and from Decapolis and from Jerusalem and Judea, 
and the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, bringing many sick with 
them. He healed the sick and seeing the great throngs he 
sat down on the side of the mountain. When his disciples 
and the people had come close about him he spoke to them 
that famous discourse which has become known as The 
Sermon on the Mount: 

"Blessed are the pure in spirit, for theirs is the king- 
dom of heaven. 

"Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 

"Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be com- 
forted. 

"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteous 
things, for they shall be filled. 

"Blessed are they that show mercy, for they shall ob- 
tain mercy. 

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

"Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called 
the sons of God. 

"Blessed are they who have been persecuted for the 
sake of right, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

"Blessed are you when men shall reproach you and say 
all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. 

"Rejoice and be very glad, for great is your reward in 
heaven ; for they did so persecute the prophets before you. 

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost 
its savor wherewith shall it be salted? It is then good for 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 39 

nothing but to be cast out and trodden under the foot of 
men. 

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill 
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a lamp and put it 
under a bushel, but on the stand, and it shines unto all who 
are in the house. Even so, let your light shine before men; 
that they may see your good works and give glory to your 
Father, who is in heaven. 

"Think not that I came to destroy the law and prophets. 
I came not to destroy but to fulfill. For verily I say unto 
you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle 
shall not pass away from the law till all things are done. 

"Whoever shall break one of the least commandments 
and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom 
of heaven. But whoever shall obey and teach them shall 
be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 

"And I say unto you, unless your righteous acts exceed 
those of the Scribes and Pharisees, you shall never enter 
the kingdom of heaven. 

"You have heard that it was said to people of olden 
times, Thou shalt not kill. And whoever does kill shall be 
in danger of the judgment, but I say unto you, that every 
one who is angry with his brother without cause shall be 
in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall treat his 
brother with contempt shall be in danger of the council; 
and whoever shall falsely call his brother a rebel against 
God shall be in danger of the hell of fire. If you go to 
offer your gift on the altar and there recall that your 
brother has anything against you, leave your gift before 
the altar and go first and make friends with your brother, 
and then go and offer your gift. Agree with your rival 
quickly, while you are on the way to the judge, lest the 
judge give you over to the officer and you be cast into 
prison, for you shall not get out from there until you have 
paid the last penny. 



4 o LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

"You have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not com- 
mit adultery/ but I say, that any one who looks upon a 
woman to lust after her commits adultery with her in his 
heart. 

"If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out 
and cast it from you. If your right hand causes you to 
stumble, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is better 
that one eye or one hand should perish than that the whole 
body should be cast into hell. 

"It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife let 
him give her a bill of divorce/ but I say unto you that 
every one who puts away his wife except for fornication 
makes her an adulteress, and whoever marries her after she 
is put away commits adultery also. 

"Again you have heard that it was said to them of 
olden times, 'Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt 
perform unto the Lord thine oaths / but I say unto you, 
Swear not at all; not by heaven, for it is God's throne; not 
by the earth, because it is his footstool; not by Jerusalem, 
for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by 
your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black; 
but let your speech be, yea, yea, and nay, nay, and any 
more than these is evil. 

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for eye and 
a tooth for a tooth/ but I say, Do not resist an evil man, 
but if one smite you on the right cheek, turn to him the 
other also. If any man go to law with you and take your 
coat, let him have your cloak also. And if any man compel 
you to go with him one mile, go with him two. Give to 
him who asks and turn not away from him who wishes to 
borrow. 

"You have heard that it was said, 'Thou shalt love thy 
neighbor and hate thine enemy/ but I say unto you, Love 
your enemies and pray for those who abuse you, that you 
may be the sons of your Father who is in heaven. For 







THE PERRY PICTURES. 
BOSTON EDITION. 



FROM PAINTING BY HOFMANN. 1824- 
COPYRIGHT, 19 9, BY EUGENE A. PERRY. 



SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 41 

he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good and 
sends rain on the just and unjust. If you love them that 
love you, what reward have you? Do not even the Pub- 
licans do the same? And if you salute your brother only, 
what do you do more than others? Do not even the Gen- 
tiles do the same? You, therefore, shall be perfect as 
your Father in heaven is perfect. 

"Take heed not to do your righteous acts before men, to 
be seen of them, or you will have no reward from your 
Father w r ho is in heaven. When you do your alms do not 
sound a trumpet as the hypocrites do in the streets and 
synagogues to have the glory of men. They have their 
reward. But when you do alms let not your left hand 
know w r hat your right hand does. Let your alms be in 
secret and your Father who sees in secret shall reward 
you. 

"And when you pray, do not like the hypocrites who 
stand in the synagogue and the corners of the streets 
that they may be seen of men. They indeed have their 
reward. But when ^ou pray go into your inner chamber 
and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in 
secret, and your Father who sees in secret shall reward 
you. And in praying do not repeat the same words like 
the Gentiles do. They vainly think they shall be heard for 
their much speaking. Your Father knows the things you 
have need of before you ask him. 

"And when you fast be not of sad face like the hypo- 
crites. They make their faces sad that they may appear to 
men to fast. They have their reward. But when you 
fast, anoint your head and wash your face that you may 
not appear to men to fast, but to your Father who sees in 
secret, and your Father shall reward you. 

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where 
moth and rust doth consume and thieves break through 
and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, 



42 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

where neither moth nor rust consume and where thieves 
do not break through nor steal, for where your treasure 
is, there will your heart be also. The lamp of the body is 
the eye. If your eye be single your whole body will be 
full of light, but if your eye be evil your whole body will 
be full of darkness. 

"No man can serve two masters, for he w r ill either 
hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the 
one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and 
mammon. Therefore, I say, be not anxious for your life, 
what you shall eat or what you shall drink ; nor for your 
body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food 
and the body more than raiment? Behold the birds of 
the air ! They sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather 
into barns, but your Father in heaven feeds them. Are 
you not of much more value than they? And which of you 
by being anxious can add one cubit to the measure of his 
life? And why are you anxious about raiment? Consider 
the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither 
do they spin, yet I say unto you that even Solomon in 
all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If God 
so clothe the grass of the field, which today is and to- 
morrow is cast into the oven, will he not much more 
clothe you, O ye of little faith? Be not anxious saying, 
'What shall we eat or what shall we drink, or what shall 
we put on?' After these things the Gentiles seek. Your 
Father in heaven knows that you have need of all these 
things. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his right- 
eousness and all these things shall be added unto you. Be 
not anxious for the morrow, for the morrow will be anx- 
ious for itself. Sufficient for each day is the evil thereof. 

"Judge not, for with the judgment you may judge, 
you shall also be judged. Why behold the mote that is in 
your brother's eye and consider not the beam that is in 
your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 43 

me cast the mote out of your eye/ when a beam is in 
your own eye? You hypocrite, first cast the beam out of 
your own eye and then you can see clearly to cast the 
mote out of your brother's eye. 

"Give not that which is holy to the dogs nor cast your 
pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their 
feet and turn and rend you. 

"Ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall 
find; knock and it shall be opened to you. Every one that 
asks shall receive ; he that seeks shall find, and to him 
that knocks it shall be madje open. Who of you, if your 
son were to ask for a loaf, would give him a stone ; or if 
he were to ask for a fish, would ^ou give him a ser- 
pent? If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts 
to your children, how much more will your Father who 
is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? There- 
fore, what you would that men should do for you, do you 
also for them, for this is the law and the prophets. 

"Enter in by the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and 
broad is the way that leads to ruin and many are they 
who go in thereat. But narrow is the gate and strait is 
the way that leads unto life and few are they who find it. 

"'Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's 
clothing, but within are greedy wolves. By their fruits 
you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns or 
figs of thistles? Every good tree brings forth good fruit, 
but every corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree 
cannot bring forth evil fruit and a corrupt tree cannot 
bring forth good fruit. Every tree which does not bring 
forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Not 
every one who says 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the 
kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my 
Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me in that 
day, 'Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and by 
your name cast out demons and do many mighty works?' 



44 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

Then I will profess to them, I never knew you. Depart 
from me, you that do evil. 

"Every one who hears these words of mine and obeys 
them shall be like unto a wise man who built his house 
upon the rock, and the rain fell and the floods came and 
the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not, 
for it was founded upon the rock. And every one who 
hears my words and obeys them not shall be like a foolish 
man who built his house upon the sand, and the rain fell 
and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that 
house and it fell and great was the fall of it." 

The people were charmed with these sayings, but they 
were filled with surprise because he taught them as one 
having authority and not as the Scribes taught. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 45 



CHAPTER X 



FARTHER HEALING AND TEACHING. 
JOHN THE BAPTIST AND HEROD ANTIPAS. 

And when he had ended speaking to the people he went 
down again to Capernaum. A certain centurion who was 
an officer of the Roman army had his station there. He 
had a servant who was dear to hi,-m lying sick of the palsy 
and about to die. When the centurion heard of Jesus he 
sent elders of the Jews to ask him to come and heal his 
servant. The elders came to Jesus and told him that the 
centurion had built a synagogue for the Jews and was 
very worthy and loved the Jewish nation. Then they asked 
Jesus to come and heal the sick servant. And Jesus went 
with them, but when he was near the house friends from 
the centurion came bearing a message, saying, "Lord, 
trouble not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou shouldst 
enter under my roof „ nor that I should come to thee ; but 
say the word and my servant shall live. 'I am a man of 
authority, having soldiers under me. I say to one, Go, and 
he goes and to another, Come, and he comes, and to my 
servant, Do this, and he does it." 

When Jesus heard these things he did marvel greatly 
and said to the people, "I have not found such great faith, 
not even in Israel." 

And those who brought the message went back to 
the house and found the servant healed. 

The next day Jesus and his disciples went to a city 
called Nain, which means The Fair. It stood on the slope 
of little Mount Hermon in lower Galilee. Many people 
went there with them. When they came near to the west 
gate of the city they saw many people coming out. Some 



46 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

were bearing the body of a young man for burial. He 
was the only son of his mother, who was a widow. When 
Jesus saw her he had pity on her and said to her, "Weep 
not/' then he went and touched the coffin and they that 
bore it stood still. Then Jesus said, "Young man, arise." 
And the young man sat up and began to speak and Jesus 
gave him over to his mother. 

And a great fear came on all present and they praised 
God saying, "A great prophet has risen among us. God 
does visit his people." And the rumor of this went out 
through all Judea and the region round about. 

After John the Baptist quit preaching and baptizing at 
Aenon in Samaria, he went about the Jordan valley preach- 
ing both in Galilee and in Peraea, a province lying east of 
the Jordan and Dead Sea. Herod Antipas was ruler over 
both of these provinces. The Romans called him Tetrarch, 
which meant ruler of a fourth part. But he was often 
spoken of as king. He was a son of the former Herod 
who was called The Great. He lived most of the time at 
Tiberias, a city he had built on the west shore of the Sea 
of Galilee, about ten miles south of Capernaum. He made 
it the capital of Galilee and named it after Tiberius Caesar, 
the emperor of Rome. John had spoken boldly against sin 
of every kind. Antipas had wrongly taken away the wife 
of his half brother, Philip, who lived at Rome, and made 
her his own wife. Her name was Herodias. Antipas' 
lawful wife was a daughter of Aretas, a prince of Arabia. 
She fled for her life. John did boldly reprove Antipas for 
this offense, saying, "It is not lawful for you to have your 
brother's wife/ 1 Antipas became very angry at John and 
caused him to be cast into a mountain dungeon at Machae- 
rus, a city of Peraea near the east coast of the Dead Sea. 
Herod, called The Great, had built there a fine castle and 
a fortress called the Black Fortress. 

While John was in prison his disciples came and told 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 47 

him of the things they had heard about Jesus. And John 
sent two of them to ask Jesus if he were indeed The 
Christ. The two disciples came to Jesus at a time when 
he was healing many. They said to him, "John has sent 
us to ask if you are The Christ, or shall we look for an- 
other?" Jesus said, "Go your way and tell John what you 
have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight; the 
lame walk; the lepers are cleansed; the deaf hear; the 
dead are raised up and the poor have good tidings preached 
to them. And blessed is he who shall find no cause for 
stumbling in ; me." 

At one place a Pharisee named Simon asked Jesus to 
dine with him. And Jesus went into the Pharisee's house 
and sat down to eat. And there lived in that place a wo- 
man named Magdalene, who was a great sinner. When 
she heard that Jesus was sitting at meat in the Pharisee's 
house she brought a flask of ointment and stood behind 
Jesus at his feet and wept and wet his feet with her tears 
and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his 
feet and poured the ointment upon them. 

When the Pharisee saw what was done he said to him- 
self, "If this man Jesus were a prophet he would know 
that this woman is a sinner. " Jesus knowing the Phari- 
see's thought, said, "Simon, I have something to tell you." 
Simon said, "Teacher, say on." Then Jesus said, "A cer- 
tain lender had two debtors. One owed him five hundred 
shillings and the other fifty. When they had nothing to 
pay with he forgave them both. Which of them will love 
him most?" Simon said, "I suppose he to whom he forgave 
the most." Jesus said, "You have judged rightly. You 
see this woman. I came into your house and you gave 
me no water for my feet, but she has wetted my feet 
with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave 
me no kiss, but she has not ceased to kiss my feet since 
I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she 



48 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

has poured ointment even on my feet. Wherefore, I say, 
her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she has loved 
much. But little shall be given to him who loves little. " 
Then those who sat at the table with them began to say 
among themselves, "Who is this that even forgives sin?" 
But Tesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. 
Go in peace." 

And after these things Jesus again went about through 
every city and village, preaching and teaching and showing 
the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and all the twelve 
were with him. 

In a short time he went back to Capernaum. After he 
reached there some people brought to him a certain man 
having a demon, blind and dumb, and Jesus healed the man 
so that he both spoke and saw. And the people were 
filled with wonder and said, "Is not this the Son of David?" 
But when the Pharisees heard it they said to the people, 
"He does not cast out demons except by Beelzebul, the 
prince of demons." But Jesus knowing their thoughts said, 
"Every kingom divided against itself shall fall. And if 
Satan cast out Satan, how then shall this kingdom stand? 
But if I cast out demons by the spirit of God, then the 
kingdom of God is come to you." 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 49 



CHAPTER XI. 



SERMON IN PARABLES— STILLING THE STORM. 

Then Jesus left the house in Capernaum and went down 
along the west coast of the sea and stopped on the shore. 
And a great throng from the region round about went after 
him. So many pressed about him that he went into a boat 
at the edge of the sea and sat down and the people stood 
on the shore and he taught them by many parables, say- 
ing: 

"Behold a sower w r ent forth to sow; and as he sowed 
some seed fell by the wayside and the fowls of the air 
came and ate them up. 

"And some fell upon stony places where there was not 
much earth and forthwith it sprang tip because there was 
not much depth of earth; and when the sun was up it was 
scorched and did wither away because it lacked moisture. 
And some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up and 
choked it. 

"But others fell into good ground and brought forth 
fruit a hundred fold. He that hath ears to hear let him 
hear. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who 
sowed good seed in his field, but while people slept his 
enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went 
away. When the blades sprang up and brought forth grain 
then the tares came up also. And the servants of the man 
came and said, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your 
field? Then, whence came these tares?' The man said, 
'An enemy has done this.' Then the servant said, 'Shall 
we go and gather them up?' He said, 'No, lest while you 



5 o LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

gather up the tares you root up the wheat also. Let both 
wheat and tares grow together until the harvest. At the 
harvest I will tell the reapers to gather first the tares and 
bind them in bundles and burn them them, but to gather 
the wheat into my barn.' " 

And when his disciples asked him to explain the parable 
of the tares of the field, he said, "He that sows the good 
.seed is the Son of man and the field is a world ; the sons of 
the kingdom are the good seed and the tares are the sons 
of the evil one and the enemy that sowed them is the devil 
and the harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are 
the angels. As the tares are plucked up and burned, so 
shall it be at the end of the world. The Son of man shall 
send forth his angels and gather out of his kingdom all 
that cause stumbling and that do evil and cast them into 
the fire. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
Then the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the king- 
dom of their Father. He that hath ears let him hear. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a grain of 
mustard seed which is very small when it is sown in the 
earth, but after it is sown it grows up and becomes greater 
than all other herbs and shoots out great branches so that 
the birds of the air come and lodge in it. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven which 
a woman hid in three measures of meal till the whole be- 
came leavened. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid 
in a field. When a man found it he hid it and for joy went 
and sold all that he had and bought that field. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant 
seeking goodly pearls. When he found one pearl of great 
value he went and sold all that he had and bought it. 

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net which 
was cast into the sea and did gather of every kind and 
when it was full they drew it to the shore and sat down 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 51 

and did gather the good into vessels, but the bad they cast 
away. 

"No man, when he lights a candle, puts it under a bushel, 
but he sets it on a stand that those who enter the house 
may see the light, for there is nothing hid which shall not 
become known. Take heed how you hear, for unto him who 
has shall be given, but from him who has not shall be 
taken away even that which he seems to have." And many 
other parables spake he unto them. 

And when Jesus had ended teaching by parables from 
the boat the people still thronged about him. And a certain 
Scribe came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you 
wherever you go." Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes 
and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man has 
not where to lay his head." Then another said, "Master, I 
will follow you also, but let me first go and bury my father." 
Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead." 
And still another said, "Master, I will follow you, but let 
me first bid farewell to them at my house." Jesus said to 
him, "No man who puts his hand to the plow and looks 
back is fit for the kingdom of God." 

And the same day when even was come he said to his 
disciples, "Let us cross over to the other side." And they 
sent the people away and took him in the boat which he 
was in and set out with other boats for the other side of 
the sea. While they were on the way a great storm of 
wind arose and the waves beat high into the boat and they 
were in danger. Jesus was in the hinder part of the boat 
asleep on a pillow. And they came and awoke him and 
said, "Master, save us or we perish." Then he arose and 
did rebuke the winds and said to the sea, "Peace, be still;" 
and the wind ceased and there was a great calm. Then he 
said unto them, "Where is your faith?" And they were 
filled with fear and wonder and said, "What manner of 
man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" 



52 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER XII 



VISIT TO THE GADARENES — THE TWELVE SENT FORTH. 

They reached the other side of the sea safely and landed 
at the country of the Gadarenes across the sea from Gali- 
lee. Then Jesus started to a certain city of that country 
and as he went a man with an unclean spirit who had his 
dwelling among the tombs came out to meet him, and no 
one could tame the man or even bind him with chains, be- 
cause he would break the chains in pieces. And day and 
night he was always in the mountains or in the tombs cry- 
ing and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw 
Jesus afar off he ran and fell down before him and Jesus 
did command the unclean spirit to come out of him. But 
the unclean spirit cried with a loud voice, "What have I to 
do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I 
beseech thee, torment me not!" Then Jesus said, "What is 
your name?" He said, "My name is Legion, for we are 
many." And the unclean spirits besought him that he would 
not send them out of the country, but would allow them to 
enter a herd of swine — about two thousand — which were 
feeding on the mountain. And Jesus gave them leave ana 
the unclean spirits went out of the man and went into the 
swine and the whole herd ran wildly down a steep place 
into the sea and were drowned. 

And the men who fed the swine fled and told what was 
done both in city and country. Then the people came out 
and saw Jesus and the man clothed in his right mind. When 
they found that what had been told them was true, they 
were afraid. Then they began to beg Jesus to depart from 
their country and Jesus started back. 

When he came to the boat to return from that country 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 53 

the man who had been healed came and asked to go with 
him, but Jesus would not let him and said, "Go home to your 
friends and tell them what great things have been done 
for you." And the man went away and began to publish 
in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him and 
all men did marvel. 

Then Jesus and his disciples crossed back over the sea 
and came to his own city, Capernaum, and many people 
were waiting for him and did receive him gladly. 

One day while Jesus was teaching the people by para- 
bles a ruler of the synagogue by the name of Jairus came 
and fell down at his feet and said, "Come to my house and 
heal my only daughter, about twelve years old, who is 
about to die." Jesus started on the way, but as he went 
the people thronged him and a woman who had an issue 
of blood for twelve years heard of him and began to follow 
after him. The woman had spent all she had upon doctors, 
but none could heal her. She came up in the throng behind 
Jesus and touched the border of his garment and at once 
her issue of blood w r as healed. Then Jesus turned about 
and said, "Who touched me?" And the woman came 
trembling and fell down at his feet and told him before 
all the people why she had touched him and that she was 
healed. Then Jesus said to her, "Daughter, be of good 
cheer; your faith has made you whole. Go in peace." 

And while he was still speaking one came from the 
house of Jairus and said to him, "Your daughter is dead. 
Trouble not the master." When Jesus heard it he said, 
"Fear not, only believe." And when he came into the 
house he did not let any enter except Peter and James and 
John and the father and mother of the maiden. He put 
out all who wailed and wept. Then he took the maid by 
the hand and said, "Maid, arise." And her spirit came again 
and at once she arose and walked. And Jesus said, "Give 
her something to eat." 



54 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

All those present were filled with wonder. Then Jesus 
charged that they tell no man what was done, but the 
fame of it went abroad through all that land. 

Then Jesus left that place and started with his disci- 
ples to another part of Capernaum. On the way two blind 
men began to follow him crying, "Thou Son of David, have 
mercy on us." When he had gone into a house the blind 
men came to him and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe 
that I can do what you ask?" They said, "Yes, Lord." 
Then he touched their eyes saying, "As you have faith, so 
be it unto you." And their eyes were healed and Jesus 
charged them, saying, "Let no man know it." But when 
they had gone away they spread abroad his fame in all 
that country. 

Then Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and again 
gave them power to heal the sick and cast out unclean 
spirits. And he sent them out two by two to preach the 
kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And he said unto 
them, "Take nothing for your journey, neither staves nor 
scrip, nor bread, nor money; neither have two coats apiece. 
And when you enter a house in any city abide there and 
depart from there. And if they will not receive you when 
you go out of that city shake the very dust off your feet 
for witness against them." 

And the twelve did depart and went through all the 
towns preaching the gospel and healing the sick. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 55 



CHAPTER XIII 



HEROD BEHEADS JOHN THE BAPTIST — FIVE THOUSAND FED. 

It was now spring time again. John the Baptist was 
still held in prison at Machaerus. Herodias had great wrath 
against John and had often sought to have him killed. When 
Herod Antipas' birthday came he gave a great feast in the 
castle at Machaerus to his lords and tribunes of the army 
and the chief men of Galilee. At the end of the feast the 
king and his guests were filled with wine and the young 
daughter of Herodias came in and danced before them. This 
so pleased the king- that he made promise with an oath 
that he would give the damsel anything she would ask, 
even to the half of his kingdom. Then the damsel went to 
her mother and said, "What shall I ask?" And Herodias 
said, "Ask for the head of John the Baptizer in a charger." 
And the damsel went straightway to the king and said, 
"Give me the head of John the Baptist in a charger." Then 
the king was very sorry of his promise, but for the sake 
of his oath and his guests he would not refuse her. And 
forthwith he sent guards to behead John in prison and had 
his head brought in a charger and given to the damsel and 
the damsel gave it to her mother. 

When John's disciples heard of it the next day they 
came and begged the headless body of John and took it 
away and buried it. And then they went and told Jesus. 

After the death of John the Baptist rumors of the won- 
ders done by Jesus began to reach the ears of Antipas and 
those about him. Some said, "Elijah has come again." 
Others said, '(It is a prophet." But Antipas was filled with 
fear and said, "John the Baptist I did behead. But who is 



56 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

this of whom I hear such things ?" And he was anxious to 
see Jesus. 

At this time Jesus was near Capernaum. When John's 
disciples came bringing- the news of the death of John the 
Baptist at the hands of Herod Antipas, Jesus sent and had 
his own disciples called back from the tours on which he 
had sent them and they all came to where he was. They 
were all filled with sorrow at the news of John's death and 
wanted to rest, but there were so many coming and going 
at that place that they did not have time even to eat. So 
Jesus and his disciples, to avoid the crowds, got into boats 
and started northward on the Sea of Galilee. And John's 
disciples also went with them. They started to a desert 
place near the city of Bethsaida where they could rest. 
Bethsaida was a fishing town north of the Sea of Galilee. 
But many people saw Jesus and his disciples depart, and 
they ran afoot along the shore and outran the boats, and 
when Jesus came out of the boat in the desert place many 
people were already there. When Jesus saw them he was 
moved with pity for them, for they were as sheep without 
a shepherd. But he went to them and healed their sick and 
spoke to them of the kingdom of God. 

When evening was come the disciples came to Jesus and 
said, 'This is a desert place and it is late. Send the people 
away that they may go into the towns and country round 
about and buy bread and lodge." But Jesus said, "They 
need not depart. You give them to eat." And he looked 
over the great throng and said to Philip, "Whence are we 
to buy bread that these may eat?" He said this to test 
Philip. Then Philip said, "Two hundred pennyworth of 
bread would not be enough for each one to have a little." 
For there were about five thousand men besides some wo- 
men and children. Then Andrew said, "There is a lad here 
who has five barley loaves and two small fishes; but what 
are they among- so many?" Then Jesus said, " Make them 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 57 

sit down, fifty in a place." And they did so, and they all 
sat down on the green grass. Then Jesus took the five 
loaves and two fishes and looking up to heaven blessed and 
broke them, and gave to the disciples to set before the peo- 
ple. And they all ate and were filled. Then Jesus said to 
his disciples, "Now gather up the fragments that nothing 
may be wasted," and they took up twelve baskets full. 

And the people who saw these things said, "Indeed, this 
is a prophet that is come into the world." 

The day was now far spent and Jesus told his disciples 
to get into a boat and go on before him to the other side 
while he sent the people away. When his disciples had 
gone and he had sent the people away he went up into the 
mountain to pray for a season. And when even was come 
the disciples were in the midst of the sea and Jesus was 
walking alone along the shore. He saw them toiling at 
the oars, for the wind was against them. The wind blew 
strong during the night and about the fourth watch — three 
o'clock in the morning — Jesus came to them walking on 
the water. When they saw him they thought it was a 
spirit and cried out in terror, but he said to them, "It is 
I ; be not afraid." And Peter said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid 
me conte to thee on the water." And Jesus said, "Come." 
And when Peter was come down out of the boat he walked 
on the water toward Jesus, but when he saw the wind 
strong he was afraid and began to sink and cried out, "Lord, 
save me !" And Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught 
him and said, "O you of little faith! Why did you doubt?" 
Then the disciples gladly took Jesus into the boat and the 
wind ceased. And the disciples said, "Truly, thou art the 
Son of God." 

And they passed over the sea and the next morning they 
reached the land of Gennesaret near Capernaum and drew 
to the shore. When they came out of the boat many peo- 
ple knew Jesus, and they ran through the region round 
about and began to bring those that were sick. 



58 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

That day many people from the city of Tiberias and 
other places went back to the desert place where the five 
thousand had been fed, but when they found that Jesus and 
his disciples were no longer there many of them also went 
to the region of Capernaum seeking him. When they found 
him on the other side of the sea they said to him, "Rabbi, 
how did you come here?" He said unto them, "You seek 
me not because you saw the miracles, but because you ate 
of the loaves and fishes and were filled. Labor not for the 
meat which perishes, but for that which endures unto ever- 
lasting life which the Son of man shall give. I am the bread 
of life; he that comes to me shall never hunger, and he 
that believes shall never thirst. I come down from heaven, 
not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. 
And it is the will of him that every one who believes shall 
have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the last 
day." 

And then Jesus again made a tour about the cities and 
towns of the country, preaching and teaching. At every 
place they laid the sick in the streets and asked him to 
let them touch the hem of his garment that they might 
be healed and he healed them. 

When he reached Capernaum again, certain Scribes and 
Pharisees came to him from Jerusalem to see and question 
him. And when they saw some of the disciples eat bread 
without washing their hands, they found fault. But Jesus 
called the people and said, "That which goes into the mouth 
does not defile a man, but that which comes out of the 
mouth defiles a man." Then some of the disciples told him 
that this saying did offend the Pharisees; but he said, 
"Every plant which my Father has not planted shall be 
rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the 
blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into 
the ditch." 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 59 



CHAPTER XIV. 



JOURNEYS TO TYRE AND SIDON, DECAPOLIS, AND CAESAREA 

PHILIPPI. 

Jesus had just begun his third year teaching and heal- 
ing. After a short stay in Capernaum, he and his disciples 
took up a journey into the regions of Tyre and Sidon for 
the purpose of teaching and healing. These were cities of 
some size on the east coast of the Great Sea. In a direct 
line Tyre was about forty miles northwest of Capernaum. 
It stood on a rocky point at the edge of the sea and had a 
good harbor. Many races of people lived there. Tyre 
was noted for its trade in Tyrian purple and other dyes. 
From a large sea trade it had become wealthy. 

Sidon was also on the coast of the Great Sea and about 
twenty-five miles northeast of Tyre. It was a famous sea- 
port and is said to have been nearly a thousand years old 
at the time. A little over three hundred years before, it 
had been taken by Alexander the Great after a long and 
bloody siege. 

Very little is known to us about the events of this jour- 
ney When Jesus reached Tyre he was weary from travel 
and sought a quiet place to rest. But he could not hide 
himself. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had 
an unclean spirit, heard of him and came and fell down 
at his feet and said, "Have mercy on me, O Lord. My 
daughter is sorely vexed with a demon. " But he said not 
a word. Then his disciples came up and said, "Send her 
away, for she cries after us." Then Jesus said to the wo- 
man, "I am sent only to the lost sheep of the house of 
Israel." But the woman besought him again, saying, "O, 
help me !" Then Jesus said, "But it is not meet to take 



60 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

the children's bread and cast it to the dogs." But the wo- 
man said to him, "Yes, Lord, but the dogs eat the chil- 
dren's crumbs which fall from their master's table." Then 
Jesus said to her, "Woman, great is your faith. The un- 
clean spirit is gone out of your daughter." And when the 
woman came to her own house she found her daughter 
healed and lying upon her bed. 

After a time spent in teaching and healing, first in the 
region of Tyre, and then of Sidon, Jesus and his disciples 
made the journey back to the Sea of Galilee. Then they 
soon went on across the sea and along the coast of Deca- 
polis, a country touching that sea and lying westward from 
Galilee and Judea. 

When he had reached Decapolis the people of that coun- 
try brought to him a man who was deaf and had a stoppage 
in his speech and besought Jesus to lay his hands upon the 
man. Jesus took the man aside from the people and put 
his fingers into his ears and spat and touched his tongue. 
Then, looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Be open," 
and straightway the man's ears became open and his tongue 
became loose and he spoke plainly and could hear. Then 
Jesus charged them that they should tell no man, but they 
told it so much the more, for the people were filled with 
surprise beyond measure, and said, "He does all things well. 
He makes ieven the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak." 

Then great throngs, who had heard of Jesus, came out, 
bringing people that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed and 
many others and set them down at Jesus' feet and he healed 
them. 

And the people who saw what was done were filled 
with wonder and gave glory to the God of Israel. 

After spending some days in Decapolis Jesus went back 
to Galilee and great crowds of people there again began to 
follow him about from place to place and he taught them 
and healed their sick. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 61 

Then, shortly, he took another journey from Galilee and 
went far northward. He went first up to the city of Beth- 
saida, a fishing town, and taught the people there for a 
time. While he was in that city some brought a blind man 
and asked Jesus to touch him. Jesus took the blind man 
by the hand and led him out of the town and when he had 
put spittle upon the man's eyes he said, "Do you see any- 
thing- ?" The man looked up and said, "I see men. They 
appear as trees walking." Then Jesus again laid his hands 
upon the man's eyes, and the man looked again, and was 
cured, and he said, "I see all things clearly." Then Jesus 
said to the man, "Go away to your own house and do not 
even enter the town." 

From Bethsaida Jesus went on north, preaching and 
teaching on the way. He went as far as Caesarea Philippi, a 
very noted city of that day. Some say it was on the most 
beautiful spot in Palestine. It stood upon a limestone ter- 
race in a valley at the base of great Mount Hermon. This 
mountain had greater grandeur than any other in Pales- 
tine. In the city springs rise which form the chief source 
of the Jordan river. In ancient times the temple of the 
Greek god Pan stood on this spot. 

Jesus and his disciples went also into the other towns 
of that country. One day while they were alone on this 
journey, he said to them, "Whom do men say that I am?" 
They said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and 
some Jeremiah, or one of the old prophets that has risen 
again." Then he said to them, "Whom do you say that I 
am?" Peter said, "The Christ." Jesus said, "Blessed are 
you, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal this 
to you, but my Father, who is in heaven. You are Peter, 
which means rock. Upon this rock I will build my church, 
and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it. I will 
give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. What you shall 
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you shall 



62 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. " And he straitly 
charged them, saying, "Tell no man that I am The Christ, 
for the Son of man shall suffer many things from the elders 
and chief priests and Scribes, and be killed, and the third 
day raised up again." 

Then he said to them all, "If any man will come after 
me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and 
follow me. For he who will save his life, shall lose it; but 
he who will lose his life for my sake, shall save it; for 
what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and 
forfeit his own life, or what shall a man give in exchange 
for his life? For he who shall find any cause for shame in 
me, or my words of him, shall the Son of man have cause 
for shame, when he comes into the glory of the Father, 
with the holy angels; but I tell you of a truth, there are 
some standing here who shall not face death till they have 
seen the kingdom of God with power." 

Then, after six days, Jesus took Peter and James and 
John, and ^went up into a high mountain, near Caesarea 
Philippi, to pray. And as he prayed, he was changed and 
his face shone as the sun and his garments became white 
as the light. And Moses and Elijah did appear, talking with 
him. Then Peter said, "Master, it is good for us to be 
here. If thou wilt let us make here three tabernacles; one 
for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While Peter 
yet spoke, a bright cloud cast its shadow over them and a 
voice came out of the cloud, and said, "This is my beloved 
Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear him." And the three 
disciples fell on their faces and were sore afraid. But Jesus 
said, ''Arise; be not afraid." And when they looked again 
they saw no man but Jesus only. And as they came down 
from the mountain, Jesus said, "Tell the vision to no man 
until the Son of man is risen from the dead." And they 
kept that saying, asking each other what rising from the 
dead might mean. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 63 

The next day Jesus and Peter and James and John came 
down from the mountain, and when they reached the place 
where the other disciples were, a great throng of people 
had come around them, and some Scribes were asking them 
questions. When the people saw Jesus, they ran to him 
and began to salute him. Then he said to the Scribes, "What 
were you asking my disciples ?" A certain man spoke up 
and said, "Master, I have brought my son who has a dumb 
spirit which tears him so that he falls down and foams and 
gnashes with his teeth and faints away. I asked thy disci- 
ples to cast the dumb spirit out, but they could not." Then 
Jesus said, "O faithless and perverse people! How long 
shall I be with you, and endure you ! Bring your son to 
me." An,d they brought the boy and he fell down on the 
ground in a fit. Jesus said, "How long has he been in this 
state?" And the father said, "Since he was a child, but if 
thou canst do anything, have pity on us and help us." Jesus 
said to him, '*If you can believe ; all things can come to them 
that believe." Then the father cried out, "Lord, I believe. 
Help my want of belief." Then Jesus did rebuke the foul 
spirit, saying, "You dumb spirit, come out of him," and the 
unclean spirit came out of the boy and he was as one dead. 
But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and he 
was healed, and Jesus then gave him back to his father. 

Then the disciples came to Jesus and said, "Why could 
not we cast the foul spirit out?" Jesus said, "Because of 
your want of faith." 

After the healing of the boy, Jesus and his disciples left 
that place and went on their journey back into Galilee. 
When they reached Galilee, Jesus again said to them, "Some 
will betray the Son of man into the hands of men, and they 
shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised up again." 
They knew not what he meant, but they were afraid to ask 
and were filled with sorrow. 



64 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER XV. 



TRIBUTE MONEY— TEACHINGS. 

And as they came back to Capernaum those who collect 
tribute money for the temple came to Peter and said, "Does 
your master pay the half shekel tribute for the temple?" 
Peter said, "Yes." And when they had come to the house 
where they w r ere to abide, Jesus spoke first, and said, "From 
whom do the kings of earth take tribute? From their own 
sons, or strangers?" Peter said, "From strangers." And 
Jesus said, "Then, their own sons are free. Yet, lest we 
offend them, go to the sea and cast your hook and take up 
a fish and open the mouth of the first that you catch, and 
you will find a shekel, and take it and give it to them for 
tribute for you and me." And Peter did so and paid tribute 
for Jesus and himself. 

And while they were still at the house in Capernaum 
Jesus asked his disciples what they did dispute about on 
the way. But they held their peace, for they had a dispute 
among themselves as to who should be greatest in the 
kingdom of heaven. Jesus knew this and he said to them, 
"If any man desires to be first, he shall be last and servant 
of all." 

And he took a little child and set him in the midst of 
them, and said, "He who receives one such child in my name 
receives me, and he who receives me receives him that sent 
me. He that is least among you, the same shall be great. 
Unless you become as a little child, you shall not enter the 
kingdom of heaven. He who shall humble himself as this 
little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of 
heaven. And whoever shall cause one of these little ones, 
that believe on me, to stumble, it were better for him if a 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 65 

millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast 
into the sea. 

"Woe unto the world, for chances for stumbling must 
needscome, but woe to that man through whom they come 
If your foot cause you to stumble, cut it off, for it is better 
to enter into life halt than having two feet to be cast into 
hell. And if your eye cause you to stumble, pluck it out, 
for it is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one 
eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell. 

"If your brother in the church sin against you, go and 
show him his fault, between you and him alone. If he will 
hear, you have gained your brother. But if he will not 
hear, then take one or two others with you that in the 
mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be proven. 
And if he refuses to hear them, then tell it to the church, 
and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be unto 
you as a heathen and a publican." 

Then Peter said unto him, "Lord, how often shall my 
brother sin against me and I forgive him? Until seven 
times? " Jesus said unto him, "I say not unto you, until 
seven times, but until seventy times seven." 

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king who 
took an account of his servants. And when he began to 
reckon with them, one was brought who owed him ten 
thousand talents, but could not pay, and the king gave com- 
mand that the servant and his wife and children, and all 
that he had, should be sold and payment be made. That ser- 
vant, therefore, fell down before the king and said, 'Have 
patience and I will pay you all.' Then the king had pity on 
him and set him free and forgave him his debt. 

"But that same servant went out and found one of his 
fellow servants who owed him a hundred shillings and laid 
hands on him and took him by the throat and said, 'Pay 
me what you owe/ Then the fellow servant fell down at 
his feet and besought him, saying, 'Have patience with me 



66 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



and I will pay you all/ And he would not, but he had the 
fellow servant cast into prison till he should pay the debt. 

"When the other servants saw what was done, they were 
very sorry and went and told the king about it. Then the 
king called the first servant and said unto him, 'You wicked 
servant ! I forgave you all your debt because you did de- 
sire it. Should you not also have had mercy on your fel- 
low servant just as I had mercy on you?' And the king 
was wroth and had the wicked servant put in torment till 
he shoud pay all that he owed the king. 

'Thus shall my Father in heaven also do unto you, if you, 
from your hearts, forgive not each one his brother. " 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 6 7 



CHAPTER XVI. 



FEAST OF TABERNACLES— BETHANY— THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 

During this stay at Capernaum Jesus took a short rest, 
making his presence little known. He was now nearly 
thirty-two years old. It was autumn, and the Jews were 
getting ready to go up to Jerusalem again to attend the 
great feast of Tabernacles. The Law of Moses said that 
every male should attend this feast. It was a joyous event 
with the Jews. The people went to Jerusalem in large 
bands. At this time the brothers of Jesus came to him and 
said, "You ought to leave here and go into Judea that your 
disciples there also may see the works you do." But Jesus 
did not journey about in Judea, because the leaders of the 
Jews there sought to kill him, and he said to his brothers, 
"My time is not yet come, but your time is always ready. 
The world does not hate you, but it hates me, because I 
bear witness that its works are evil. You go on up to the 
feast. I will not go to the feast yet, for my time has not 
fully come." Then, after his brothers had gone on to Jeru- 
salem, he also went up to the feast, not openly, but, as it 
were, in secret. 

After the feast began some of the Jews went about the 
temple, saying, "Where is he?" And the people began to 
murmur about him. Some said, "He is a good man;" others 
said, "No ; he leads the people astray." But no man spoke 
openly of him, for fear of the Jews. When the chief priests 
and rulers of the Jews heard the people murmur, they sent 
guards to take him. About the middle of the feast, Jesus 
went into the temple and taught. And many did marvel, 
saying, "How does this man know letters, having never 
learned?" Jesus said to them, "My doctrine is not mine, 



68 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

but his that sent mc. Did not Moses give you the law and 
none of you keep the law? Why do you go about to kill 
me?" Then they said, "You have a demon; who goes about 
to kill you?" Jesus said to them, "I have done one work 
and you all marvel. You circumcise on the Sabbath day, 
that the law of Moses may not be broken. Are you angry 
at me because I have healed a man on the Sabbath day? 
Judge not by the way things appear, but judge righteous 
judgment." Then some said, "Is this not he whom they seek 
to kill? He speaks openly and they say nothing to him. 
Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is The 
Christ? Yet we know this man whence he is, but when The 
Christ comes no one knows whence he is." Then Jesus cried 
out and said, "You both know me and from whence I am." 
Then there was a division among the people. Some would 
have taken him, but no man laid hands on him. Then the 
guards went back to where the Jewish council had met with- 
out Jesus and some of the leaders said to them, "Why have 
you not brought him?" And the guards said, "Never man 
spake like this man !" Then the Pharisees said, "Are you 
also led astray? Do any rulers or Pharisees believe on him? 
The people know not the law." Then Nicodemus, the man 
who once came to Jesus by night, being one of the council, 
said, "Does our law judge any man before it hears him and 
knows what he does?" Then they said to Nicodemus, "Are 
you also of Galilee? Search and see, for no prophet ever 
came out of Galilee." Then every man went away to his own 
house. 

Then Jesus went out from the temple to the Mount of 
Olives, east of the city. He likely spent the night in Beth- 
any at the home of Lazarus and Mary and Martha. Early 
the next morning he came again into the temple, and all the 
people came about him to see and to hear him, and he sat 
down and taught them. 

During the day certain chief priests and Scribes came to 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 69 

him in one of the courts of the temple, bringing a woman 
taken in adultery, and they set her down before him and 
said, "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the 
very act. The law of Moses commands that we stone her; 
what do you say?" They said this, trying to find cause to 
accuse him. Jesus stooped down and wrote with his finger 
on the ground, and said nothing. But they kept on asking 
him and at last he raised himself up, and said, "Let him 
that is without sin among you cast the first stone." Then 
he stooped down again and wrote with his finger on the 
ground. Then those who had charged the woman with sin, 
feeling guilty in their own hearts, went away one by one, 
even to the last. And Jesus and the woman were left alone 
in the midst of the crowd about the court of the temple. 
Then Jesus arose and said, "Woman, where are those that 
accuse you? Does no man condemn you?" And she said, 
"No man, Lord." Then Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn 
you; go and sin no more." 

One day during the feast, Jesus went into that court of 
the temple where the treasury was and began to teach the 
people there that he was the Son of God, saying, "I am the 
light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in 
darkness, but have the light of life. You are from beneath; 
I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this 
world. If you abide in my words, then you are my disci- 
ples. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall 
make you free." And many did believe, but some took up 
stones to cast at him, but he hid himself and went through 
the midst of them and passed out of the temple. 

As he went away from the temple he saw a man blind 
from his birth who sat begging by the way. And his disci- 
ples said, "Master, who did sin, this man or his parents, 
that he was born blind?" Jesus said, "Neither did this man 
sin nor his parents ; but that the works of God should be 
shown in him. We must do the works of him that sent me 



7 o LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

while it is day, for the night comes, when no man can work." 
Then he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, 
and did anoint the eyes of the blind man with the clay 
and said unto him, "Go wash in the pool of Siloam." And 
the man went and washed and came back seeing. 

Then those who knew the man before said, "Is this not 
he that sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others 
said, "No; but he is like him;" but the man said, "I am he." 
Then they said to the man, "How did you receive your 
sight?" He said to them, "A man called Jesus made clay 
and did anoint my eyes and told me to go and wash in the 
pool of Siloam, and I went and washed, and came back see- 
ing." Then they said, "Where is he that did this thing?" 
And the man said, "I know not." 

This was on the Sabbath day and some of them took 
the man to the Pharisees in the synagogue, and began to 
make charges against Jesus. Then the Pharisees said to the 
man, "How did you receive your sight?" The man said, 
"A man named Jesus put clay upon my eyes and I washed 
and do see. This is all I know." Then some said, "This man 
Jesus is not of God, because he does not keep the Sab- 
bath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do 
such things?" And they could not agree. And they said 
unto the man, "What do you say?" The man said, "He is 
a prophet." But many would not believe that the man did 
receive his sight, and they asked his parents. But his pa- 
rents knew that the Jews had agreed to cast any man who 
should confess that Jesus was The Christ out of the syna- 
gogue, and so they said, "This is our son. He was born 
blind, but we do not know how he now sees. He is of age, 
ask him. He can speak for himself." Then they called the 
man a second time, and said to him, "Give God the praise. 
We know that this man Jesus is a sinner." Then the man 
said, "Whether he is a sinner I do not know, but one thing 
I do know: whereas I was blind, now I see." Then they 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 71 

began to accuse the man of being Christ's disciple. And 
they cast him out of the synagogue. 

When Jesus heard that they had cast the man out of 
the synagogue, he found him again and said to him, "Do 
you believe on the Son of God?" The man said, "Who is he, 
Lord, that I may believe on him?" And Jesus said, "You 
have seen. It is he who now talks to you." And the man 
said, "Lord, I believe," and fell down before him. 

Then Jesus left those seeking a charge against him and 
went his way. 

After Jesus had healed and left the blind man, many 
people sought after him. When a throng had again come 
about him, he taught them by parables, saying: 

"He that enters not by the door into the fold of the 
sheep, but climbs up some other way, is a thief and a robber. 
But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the 
sheep. To him the keeper opens the fold and the sheep 
hear his voice, and he calls his sheep by name and leads them 
out. 

"And when he has called them out, he goes forth before 
them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 
They will not follow a stranger, but they will flee from 
him, for they know not the voice of strangers." 

But the people did not know the meaning of the parable. 
So Jesus said unto them : 

"I am the door of the sheep ; all that ever came before 
me are thieves and robbers, and the sheep did not hear 
them. I am the door ; if any man enter in by me he shall 
be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture. The 
thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I 
am come that they may have life and have it more fully. 

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his 
life for the sheep. But the hireling who does not own the 
sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep, and the 
wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling 



72 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

flees, because he is a hireling and does not care for the 
sheep. I am the good shepherd and know my sheep and 
am known of them. 

"As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father, 
and I lay down my life for the sheep. Other sheep I have 
which are not of this fold. I must bring them and they 
shall hear my voice and there shall be one fold and one 
shepherd. 

44 My Father loves me because I lay down my life that 
I may take it up again. No man takes it from me, but I 
lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down and power 
to take it up again. I have this command from my Father." 

After these sayings the Jews could not agree again. 
Many said, "He has a demon and is mad." Others said, 
"These are not the words of such. Can a demon open the 
eyes of the blind?" And Jesus again went away from the 
region about the temple. 




THE PERRY PICTURES. 
BOSTON EDITION. 



810. 



FROM PAINTING BY PLOCKHORST. 1825- 
COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY EUGENE A. PERRY. 



THE GOOD SHEPHERD 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 73 



CHAPTER XVII. 



SEVENTY SENT FORTH— HEALING AND TEACHING ON WAY TO 

FEAST OF DEDICATION. 

After the close of the feast of Tabernacles Jesus and 
his disciples it seems went back to Galilee. They likely 
went to Capernaum and stayed there for a short time to 
rest and prepare for the future. 

Then Jesus began another tour through Galilee and 
Judea teaching and healing the sick. Before starting on 
this journey he chose from his disciples seventy others be- 
sides the twelve and sent them forth two and two before 
his face into every city and place where he himself would 
go. And he said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but 
the workers are few. Go you your way. I send you forth 
as lambs among w r olves. Carry neither purse nor scrip nor 
shoes and salute no man by the way. Into whatever house 
you enter, first say, 'Peace be unto this house/ And if the 
son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it. If not, 
it shall return to you again. Eat such things as are set 
before you. Heal the sick and tell them the kingdom of 
God has come nigh." 

At this time the feast of Dedication was not many 
weeks away. While the law did not require the Jews to go 
to Jerusalem to observe this feast, Jesus made it a practice 
to go to all the great feasts. So he planned his journey 
toward Jerusalem. It was the early part of winter, and as 
they went they had to seek places for shelter at night. They 
came near to a certain city of Samaria and Jesus sent some 
of his disciples ahead to make ready for them. But the 
Samaritans would not receive him because he was on the 
way to a Jewish feast and they did not like Jews. When 



74 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

James and John heard this they said, "Master, shall we bid 
fire to come down from heaven and consume them as Elijah 
did?" But Jesus did rebuke them and said, "You know not 
what manner of spirit you are of. The Son of man is not 
come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. ,, And then 
they turned away from this city of Samaria and went along 
the borders of Samaria and of Galilee southward toward 
Peraea. 

As they were passing along they came near to a certain 
other village, and ten men who were lepers met them by 
the way and stood afar off, and the men cried out and 
said, "Master, have mercy on us." When Jesus saw them, 
he said, "Go show yourself to the priest," and as they went 
they were cleansed. And when one of them who was a 
Samaritan saw that he was healed, he turned back and 
with a loud voice began to give glory to God and fell down 
before Jesus and blessed him. Jesus said, "Were there not 
ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Do none give glory 
to God but this stranger? Arise and go your way. Your 
faith has made you whole." 

During this journey, one day when Jesus was praying 
his disciples were nearby, and when he ended his prayer 
one of them said, "Lord, teach us how to pray as John 
did his disciples." Jesus said to them, "When you pray, say: 

"Our Father, who art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy name. 
Thy Kingdom 'come ; 
Thy will be done 
In earth as it is in heaven: 
Give us this day our daily bread. 
And forgive us our debts 
As we forgive our debtors. 
And bring us not into temptation, 
But deliver us from evil; 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 75 

For thine is the kingdom 
And the power and glory- 
Forever. Amen." 

"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; 
seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be made open 
to you. For every one that asks shall receive, and he that 
seeks shall find, and to him that knocks it shall be made 
open. If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to 
your children, how much more shall your Father in heaven 
give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him. ,, 

One day Jesus was casting a dumb spirit out of a 
man. When the man was healed he spoke. Many people 
were present, and they were filled with wonder. But some 
said, "By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he casts out 
demons. " But Jesus knew their thoughts and said, "Every 
kingdom divided against itself is brought to ruin and a 
house divided against itself shall fall. And if Satan be 
divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? He 
that is not with me is against me, and he that does not 
gather with me scatters abroad. " 

One day at a certain place, a man came to him and 
said, "Master, speak to my brother that he divide the 
estate with me." But Jesus said, "Man, who made me a 
judge to divide between you? Take heed. Do not covet. 
A man's life consists not of the amount of things he has." 
Then he spoke a parable, saying: 

"The ground of a certain rich man brought forth in 
plenty. The man said to himself, 'What shall I do? I 
have no room to store my grain.' Then he said, 'I will 
pull down my barns and build greater, and in them I will 
store all my grains and goods. And I will say to my soul, 
Soul, you have much goods laid up for many years ; take your 
ease; eat, drink and be merry.' But God said to that man, 
'You foolish man! This night they will require your life 
of you : then whose shall those things be which you have 



76 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

laid up?' So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and 
is not rich toward God." 

On the Sabbath days Jesus \v r ent into the synagogues 
along the way and taught the people. On one Sabbath, 
while he was teaching a woman who had a disease for 
eighteen years came into the synagogue. She was bowed 
down and could not lift herself up. When Jesus saw her he 
called her and said, "Woman, you are healed of your dis- 
ease." And he laid his hands upon her and at once she was 
made straight and gave glory to God. 

And the ruler of the synagogue was angry because 
Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said to the peo- 
ple, "There are six days in which man ought to work : in 
them, therefore, come and be healed, and not on the Sab- 
bath day." 

Then Jesus said, "You hypocrites, do not each one of 
you loose your ox from the stall on the Sabbath day and 
lead him away to water? Ought not this woman, being a 
Hebrew whom Satan has bound these eighteen years, be 
loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" When he 
said this, the Pharisees were filled with shame, but the 
people did rejoice greatly because of the things that were 
done by him. 

The time for the feast of Dedication was now close 
by and Jesus turned his course toward Jerusalem, teaching 
and healing as he went through the towns and cities. He 
was now likely in Judea. One day some of the leaders 
of the Jews came to him, and said, "You had better get 
out from here or Herod will kill you." Jesus said to them, 
"You go and tell that fox that I cast out demons and per- 
form cures today and tomorrow and till the end of my 
course, and I become perfect. Yet I must go my way to- 
day and tomorrow and the next day, for it cannot be that 
a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, w r hich kills 
the prophets and stones those who are sent to her, how 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 77 

often have I wished to gather your children together as a 
hen doth gather her brood but you would not!" 

And it came to pass one day that he went into the house 
of a certain ruler of the Pharisees to dine. And some of 
the Pharisees were watching him. While he was there a 
man with the dropsy came before him. Then Jesus said 
to those present, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?" 
And they held their peace. And he healed the man and 
told him to go. Then he said to the people, "Who of you 
shall have an ox fall into a ditch and will not straightway 
go and pull him out on the Sabbath day?" And they could 
not answer him and held their peace. 

One of those present at the dinner said, "Blessed is the 
man who shall dine in the kingdom of God." Then Jesus 
said to them, "A certain man made a great supper and he 
bade many. And about supper time he sent forth his ser- 
vant to tell them that were bidden to come, that all things 
were ready. But they all of one accord began to make 
excuse. The first said, T have bought a field and must go 
out and see it. I pray you excuse me/ And the second 
said, T have bought five yoke of oxen and must go try 
them. I pray you excuse me.' And another said, T have 
wedded a wife and cannot come.' Then the servant came 
back and told his master of these things. Then the man 
became very angry and said, 'Go out quickly into the 
streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and the 
maimed, and the blind and lame.' The servant went out 
and did so. Then he came back and said, 'I have done as 
you did command and there is still room/ Then the mas- 
ter said, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and constrain 
those there to come in that the house may be filled. For 
none of these men who were bidden shall taste of my 
supper/ " 

At this stage of Jesus' journey great crowds began to 
follow him and he spoke to them often. One day many 



78 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

publicans and sinners had come to hear him and the Scribes 
and Pharisees began to murmur, saying, "This man re- 
ceives sinners and eats with them." Then Jesus spoke a 
parable unto them, saving-, "What man of you, having a 
hundred sheep and having lost one of them, does not leave 
the ninety and nine in the fields and seek after the one 
which is lost until he find it? And when he has found it, 
he lays it on his shoulder and rejoices. And when he comes 
home he calls in his friends and neighbors and says, 'Re- 
joice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost/ 
I say unto you there will be more joy in heaven over one 
sinner who repents, than over ninety and nine righteous 
persons who need not repent." 

And he spoke another parable unto them, saying: 
"A certain man had two sons and the younger said to 
him, 'Father, give me the portion of the estate which falls 
to me.' And the father gave the son his portion of the 
estate. And not many days after the younger son took all 
that had been given him and went on a journey into a far 
country. And there he wasted his substance in reckless 
living, and when he had spent all, there arose a great 
famine in that country, and he began to be in want. And 
he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country. 
The man sent him into Kis fields to feed swine. And he 
fain would have filled his belly with the husks that the 
swine did eat and no man gave to him. When the young 
man came to himself, he said, 'How many hired servants 
of my father have food enough and to spare, and I perish 
with hunger. 1 will rise and go to my father and will say 
to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and against 
you. I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make 
me as one of your hired servants.' And the young man 
arose and went to his father. When he was yet a long 
way off his father saw him coming, and ran and put his 
arms around him and kissed him. The son said, 'Father, I 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 79 

have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no 
more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of 
your hired servants/ But the father said to the servants, 
'Go bring the best robe and put it on him and put a ring 
on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted 
calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry, for this, 
my son, was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is 
found.' And the servants did as they were bidden and all 
began to make merry. 

"Now the elder son was away in the fields and as he 
came near on his way home he heard music and dancing. 
He called one of the servants and said, 'What does this 
thing mean?' The servant said to him, 'Your brother has 
come back. Your father has killed the fatted calf because 
the young man is safe and sound.' But the elder brother 
was angry and would not go in. So the father came out 
and begged him to come in, but he would not and said, 'All 
these years I have served you and have never broken a 
command of yours, and yet you have never given me even 
a kid that I might make merry with my friends, but when 
this son of yours who has wasted your estate with harlots 
has come back, you kill the fatted calf for him.' But the 
father said, 'Son, you are always with me and what is 
mine is yours. But it is meet to make merry, for your 
brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is 
found.' " 



8o LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER XVin. 



AT JERUSALEM— VISIT TO PERAEA AND RETURN— LAZARUS. 

Jesus reached Jerusalem about the first clay of the feast 
of Dedication. It was about the middle of the winter. 
Jesus was now nearly thirty-three years old. About the 
same time the seventy whom he had sent out came to him 
with joy and said, "Even the demons are subject unto us 
through thy name." Then Jesus said, "I beheld Satan as 
lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give you power to 
tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power 
of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 
But rejoice not that spirits are subject to you, but rather 
because your names are written in heaven. " 

The leaders of the Jews at Jerusalem were watching 
for Jesus. And shortly after he came, a certain lawyer 
stood up to tempt him, and said, "Master, what shall I do 
to obtain everlasting life ?'' Jesus said, "What is written 
in the law? How do you read?" And the lawyer said, 
"Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God, with all thy heart, 
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all 
thy strength, and thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus said, 
"You are right. Do this and you shall live." But the man, 
wishing to appear just, said to Jesus, "And who is my 
neighbor?" Jesus said to him, "A certain man went down 
from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers who 
stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and went 
away, leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain 
priest came down that way, and when he saw the man he 
passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite came 
to the place and looked on the wounded man, and passed by 
on the other side. But a certain Samaritan who was on a 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 81 

journey came to where the man was, and when he saw him 
he had pity on him, and went to him and bound up his 
wounds and poured in oil and wine and set him on his own 
beast and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 
And on the next day, when he left, he took two pence and 
gave to the keeper of the inn, and said, Take care of him, 
and whatever you spend more, when I come again I will 
repay you.' 

"Now which of these do you think was neighbor to him 
who fell among robbers ?" The lawyer said, "He that 
showed mercy on him." And Jesus said, ^"You go and do 
likewise. " 

Then Jesus and his disciples went to the village of Beth- 
any, which was a short distance from Jerusalem, at the far 
end of the Mount of Olives. This was the home of Mary 
and Martha and Lazarus. And Jesus abode at their house. 
Martha, having asked Jesus into the house, became busy 
with much serving. But Mary sat near Jesus' feet to hear 
his words. Then Martha came to Jesus and said, "Dost 
thou not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? 
Bid her help me." Jesus said unto her, "Martha, you are 
full of care and troubled about many things. One thing is 
needful. Mary has chosen that good part which shall not 
be taken from her." 

One day, during the feast, Jesus was walking in Solo- 
mon's porch in the temple. This porch was built by King 
Solomon on the east side of the outer court of the temple. 
It was a large portico of great grandeur and beauty. Cer- 
tain Jews came around Jesus in the porch, and said, "How 
long will you cause us to doubt? If you are The Christ, 
tell us plainly." Jesus said, *V[ told you and you would not 
believe. The works that I do in my Father's name bear 
wdtness tof me. You do not believe because you are not 
my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and follow me. And I 
give them everlasting life and they shall never perish, nor 



82 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, who 
gave them to me, is greater than all, and no man is able 
to pluck them out of his hand. I and my Father are one/' 

Then the Jews again took up stones to stone him, but 
he made his escape from their hands and went away from 
the temple. 

Then Jesus left Jerusalem and went across the Jordan 
river into Peraea. Some say the place was Bethabara, 
which is nearly sixty miles northeast of Jerusalem. Others 
think that the place was farther south in the same prov- 
ince. Jesus abode there for some time. Many came to 
him at that place and said, "John did no miracles, but all 
things that he spoke of you are true," and many did be- 
lieve on Jesus there. 

After Jesus had taught for some time in the valley of 
the Jordan, a message came to him from Mary and Martha 
of Bethany, saying, "Lord, our brother, Lazarus, whom 
thou lovest, is sick." Bethany was only about two miles 
from Jerusalem. Jesus and his disciples were many miles 
from there, but they turned their course that way. After 
two days' journey, Jesus said, "Let us go into Judea again." 
And they started toward Jerusalem. 

At one place on the way, certain strict Jews came to 
talk with him. They thought because they were trying to 
follow the letter of the law, that they were righteous and 
that all others were not righteous, and they began to dis- 
cuss with him, who was the more righteous. Jesus made 
answer to them by a parable, saying: 

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a 
Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood to 
himself, and prayed thus, 'God, I thank thee that I am not 
as Other nun are; swindlers, unjust, lustful, or even as this 
Publican, 1 fast twice a week. I give a tenth of all I 
acquire. 1 

"But the Publican stood afar off and did not so much 




THE PERRY PICTURES. 
BOSTON EDITION. 



807. 



FROM PAINTING BY PLOCKHORST. 1825- 
COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY EUGENE A. PERRY. 



CHRIST BLESSING LITTLE CHILDREN 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 83 

as lift tip his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast, say- 
ing, 'God have mercy on me, a sinner.' 

"I say to you, this man went clown to his house made 
righteous, rather than the other; for everyone that exalts 
himself shall be made humble, and every one that humbles 
himself shall be exalted." 

After they crossed from Peraea over the Jordan river 
into the borders of Judea, many people began to follow 
Jesus. And he healed many. Then certain Pharisees came 
to him to try him and said, "Is it lawful for a man to put 
away his wife for any cause?" Jesus said, "Have you not 
read that from the first God made them male and female. 
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother 
and cleave to his wife, and they two shall become one flesh. 
What God has joined together, let no man put apart." But 
they said, "Why, then, did Moses command us to give a bill 
of divorce?" Jesus said, "Moses, because of the hardness 
of your hearts, did suffer you to put away your wives. But 
I say, whoever shall put away his wife except for fornica- 
tion, and shall marry another, commits adultery, and he who 
marries her who is put away also commits adultery." 

At one place many people brought little children to 
Jesus that he might lay his hands upon them and his dis- 
ciples rebuked the people. But Jesus said, "Suffer the little 
children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for to such 
belongs the kingdom of heaven. Whoever shall not re- 
ceive the kingdom as a little child shall in no wise enter 
therein." And he laid his hands upon the little children and 
took them up in his arms and blessed them. 

Then he went on his journey to another place. As they 
were going along the way, a rich young man came running 
to Jesus and said, "Good master, what shall I do that I 
may have everlasting life?" Jesus said, "Why call me 
good? There is none good except God. You know the 
commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do 



84 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and 
mother. " And the young man said, "All these have I kept 
from my youth up. What lack I yet?" Then Jesus said, 
"If you would be perfect, go sell all that you have and give 
to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven ; and 
come and follow me." But when the young man heard this, 
he was full of sorrow, for he was very rich. 

Then Jesus said to the people who had come about 
him, "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a man who went 
out early in the morning to [hire men to work in his vine- 
yard. And he agreed with men for a shilling a day and 
sent them into the vineyard. He went out about the third 
hour and saw others standing in the street idle and he said 
to them, 'You go also into my vineyard, and what is right 
I will pay you.' And they went to work. Again the man 
went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, and 
did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out 
again and found others standing idle and said to them, 
'Why do you stand here idle?' They said, 'Because no 
man has hired us.' He said, 'You go also into my vine- 
yard and work ;' and they did so. 

"When even was come, the owner of the vineyard said 
to his steward, 'Call the men and pay them their wages, 
from the first to the last.' Those who came about the 
eleventh hour were paid a shilling, and when those who 
came first were also paid a shilling, they began to murmur 
against the owner of the vineyard and said, 'These last 
have worked only one hour, but you have made them 
equal to us who have borne the burden in the heat of the 
day.' But the owner said to them, 'Friends, I do you no 
wrong. Did you not agree with me for a shilling? Take 
what is yours and go your way. It is my will to give to 
the last the same as to you. Is it not lawful for me to do 
as 1 wish with my own ?' " 

Then on the way Jesus said to his disciples, "Our 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 85 

friend, Lazarus, is now dead, yet let us go to him." And 
when they reached Bethany, they found that Lazarus had 
been in the grave four days. Many Jews had come to 
console Mary and Martha. As soon as Martha heard that 
Jesus was coming, she ran and met him, and said, "Lord, 
if thou hadst been here my brother would not have died. 
But I know that God will give thee whatever thou wilt 
ask.' 1 Jesus said to her, "Thy brother shall rise again. " 
Martha said to him, "I know he will rise again in the res- 
urrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the 
resurrection and the life. He that believes on me, though 
he were dead, yet shall live. And whoever doth live and 
believe in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She 
said, "Yes, Lord, I believe that thou art The Christ, who 
should come into the world." And she went back and 
called Mary in secret, saying, "The Master is come and 
calls for you." Mary arose quickly and went to him. When 
Mary had come where Jesus was, she fell down at his feet 
and said, "Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother would 
not have died." When Jesus saw her and the friends with 
her weeping, he was troubled in spirit and said, "Where 
have you laid him?" They said, "Lord, come and see." Then 
Jesus wept. 

And some said, "Could not this man, who opens the 
eyes of the blind, have kept Lazarus from dying?" Then 
they came to the grave, which was a cave with a stone 
upon it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha said, 
"Lord, he has been dead four days." Jesus said, "Did I 
not say to you, if you would believe, you should see the 
glory of God?" Then they took away the stone and 
Jesus lifted his eyes and said, "Father, I thank thee that 
thou hast heard me." Then he cried with a loud voice, 
"Lazarus, come forth." And Lazarus came forth bound 
hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was bound 
with a napkin. Then Jesus said, "Loose him and let him 



86 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



go." And they did so. And many of the Jews who were 
there came to believe that |esus was The Christ. 






LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 87 



CHAPTER XIX. 



AT EPHRAIM— JOURNEY TO THE PASSOVER. 

The supreme council of the Jews was called the San- 
hedrin. It had seventy members besides its leader. It was 
first formed by Moses fifteen hundred years before. Its mem- 
bers were chosen from the priests, scribes, lawyers, elders, 
and chief men of the Jewish church. When the council 
met its members sat in the form of a half circle. It had 
power as a council to punish any offense against the rules 
of the church. 

Some of the Jews who had seen Lazarus raised from 
the dead went to Jerusalem and told the members of the 
Sanhedrin about it. The members of that council hated 
Jesus. They had sought to arrest him before. They saw 
that the people were coming to believe on him, and they 
were afraid that he would make himself a king and put 
an end to the Jewish nation or be the cause of the Romans 
doing so, and that they would all lose places of honor held 
by them. So they called a meeting to discuss the reports 
that had come to them about Jesus. 

When the council met some said, "What shall we do? 
This man does many wonders. If we let him alone, all 
men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and 
take away both our place and our nation." Joseph Caia- 
phas, the high priest in that year, was a member of the 
council. He was of the line of Aaron, the old priest of 
former times. Many thought that Caiaphas was very wise 
and could foretell events. Caiaphas arose in the council 
and said, "You know nothing at all. You ought to know 
that it is meet for us that one man should die for the 
people, and that the whole nation should not perish." The 



88 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

council agreed with what the high priest said and from 
that day forth they sought a way to put Jesus to death. 
And they sent forth a command that if any man knew 
where he was, he should make it known, so that they 
might take him. 

Therefore, for the time being Jesus did not walk openly 
among the Jews, but went away from the region about 
Jerusalem to a city called Ephraim, near the wilderness. 
The city is said to have been in the mountains of Judea, 
sixteen miles northeast of Jerusalem. For a time, Jesus 
abode there with his disciples. In this quiet retreat Jesus 
spent his time teaching his disciples about the things that 
were to come. 

While they w r ere there the feast of the Passover drew 
near. Jesus and his disciples daily saw bands of pilgrims 
passing Ephraim going to Jerusalem to prepare them- 
selves for the great feast. When the people began to ar- 
rive in Jerusalem and to come into the temple, they began 
to look for Jesus, saying, "What do you think? Will he 
not come to the feast ?" 

As the time for the Passover drew near Jesus and his 
disciples also took up their journey toward Jerusalem. On 
the way he took the twelve apart to tell them the things 
which were to happen and said, "We now go up to Jeru- 
salem, and all things which the prophets have written of 
the Son of Man 'shall soon come to pass. The Son of Man 
shall be given over to the chief priests and Scribes and 
they shall condemn him to death and turn him over to the 
Gentiles, and they shall mock him and scourge him, and 
shall kill him, and after three days he shall rise again." 
And they were all filled with fear. 

On the way James and John and their mother, Salome, 
came to Jesus and said, "We want you to grant us one 
request." Jesus said, "What do you wish?" Salome said, 
"Command that these, my two sons, may sit one on the 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 89 

right hand and one on the left when in thy kingdom." 
But Jesus said to James and John, "You know not what 
you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about 
to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." Then he 
said, "My cup, indeed, you shall drink, but to sit on my 
right and on my left hand is not mine to give, but for my 
Father. For the Son of Man is come not to receive ser- 
vice, hut to serve and to give his life as a ransom for 
many." The other disciples became very angry toward 
James and John on account of this request. But Jesus 
called them all to him, and said, "You know the rulers of 
the Gentiles lord it over them, but it shall not be so 
among you ; whoever would become great among you, 
shall be servant and whoever would be first among you, 
shall be bond servant of all." 

On the way toward Jerusalem, they came near to the 
city of Jericho, and a certain blind man named Bartimaeus 
sat by the way begging. Hearing the band of pilgrims pass 
by, he asked what it meant. And the people told him that 
Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Then Bartimaeus cried 
out, and said, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me." And 
those who went before charged him to hold his peace, but 
he cried out the more, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on 
me." And Jesus did command him to be brought and he cast 
away his garment and drew near and Jesus said, "What do 
you wish that I should do for you?" And he said, "Lord, 
that I may receive my sight." And Jesus said, "Receive your 
sight. Your faith has saved you." And at once he was 
healed and began to follow Jesus, giving glory to God, and 
all the people blessed God also. 

And then they went on into Jericho. The news of Jesus 
healing blind Bartimaeus had spread before them. There was 
a man in the city named Zaccheus. He was rich and a chief 
man among the Publicans. The Publicans, who were tax col- 
lectors for the Romans, were often greedy and ready to de- 



90 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

fraud. They had to collect taxes from the Jewish people and 
the Jews hated them. Zaccheus had heard of the wonders 
done by Jesus and wanted to see him, but could not, for the 
crowd was great and he was small of stature. So he ran 
ahead and climbed into a big tree by the way along which 
Jesus was to pass, in order to see him. When Jesus came to 
the place, he looked up and said, "Zaccheus, make haste and 
come down. For today I must abide in your house. " And 
Zaccheus came down in haste and did receive Jesus with joy. 
But when the Jews saw it they began to murmur, saying, 
"He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner/' but 
Zaccheus stood forth and said, "Lord, half of my goods I 
give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from any man 
wrongly, I restore to him fourfold. " Then Jesus said, "This 
day salvation is come to this house. For the Son of Man is 
come to seek and to save that which is lost." 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 91 



CHAPTER XX, 



FIRST DAYS OF FEAST— ENTERS JERUSALEM LIKE PROPHET OF 

OLD— MANY TEACHINGS. 

Jesus and his disciples reached Bethany six days before 
the Passover. Many people built tents at the foot of the 
Mount of Olives and other places about Jerusalem. It seems 
that Jesus went first to the home of Mary and Martha and 
Lazarus, in the village of Bethany. Soon the news spread 
that he was there again, and many people came, not only to 
see him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from 
the dead. Then the chief priests and Scribes again plotted 
how they might take Jesus by craft and put him to death. 
They wanted to put Lazarus to death also, because many had 
been led to believe on Jesus on account of the raising of 
Lazarus from the dead. But they were afraid to take Jesus 
on a feast day lest they might create an uproar among the 
people. 

In the meantime Jesus was with his disciples and friends 
at Bethany, getting ready to go up to the feast. 

The day after Jesus reached Bethany was the Jewish Sab- 
bath. He and his disciples spent the day resting. At the 
close of the day, Mary and Martha made him a supper at 
their home. Martha served and Lazarus was one of those 
who sat at the table with Jesus. 

While they sat at the table, Mary came in with a flask 
of very costly ointment, made from the spikenard plant, which 
grows high upon the mountains, and poured the ointment 
upon his head and his feet, and the house was filled with a 
sweet odor from the ointment. Then Judas Iscariot said, 
"Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred shillings 
and the money given to the poor?" Judas said this not that 



92 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief and had 
charge of the bag in which Jesus and his disciples kept their 
money and stole from it. 

But Jesus said, "Let her alone. You have the poor with 
you always. You can do them good when you will, but me, 
you have not always. She has wrought a good work upon 
me. She has done this to prepare my body for its burial. 
Wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole 
world what this woman has done shall be spoken of for a 
memorial of her." 

The next day was Palm Sunday. In the morning Jesus 
and his disciples made ready to go up to Jerusalem. The 
Jewish council had said they would arrest him if he came 
again. So the news of his approach spread fast among the 
people who had come to the feast. Some time after the noon 
hour, Jesus and his disciples, with a band of friends, left 
Bethany and walked up the main road over the side of the 
mountain, which led to Jerusalem. Many other friends joined 
them as they went. 

When they came near to the village of Bethphage, which 
means House of Figs, Jesus wished to ride, and he said to 
two of his disciples, "Go into the village over there and you 
will find a colt tied, whereon man never sat. Loose him and 
bring him to me. And if any man ask why you loose him, 
tell him, Because the Lord has need of him." And the 
two went and found near a door where two ways met the 
colt of an ass, just as Jesus had said. And as they were loos- 
ing the colt, the owners came and said, "Why do you loose 
the colt?" The disciples said, "The Lord has need of him." 
And the owners let them go. And the disciples brought the 
colt to Jesus. Then the disciples, having no saddle, placed 
their garments on the colt's back and set Jesus upon him. In 
that day prophets and even kings in triumph used to ride 
upon as ass. Many people kept coming up to where Jesus 
was until there was a great throng. As the news of Jesus' 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 93 

coming spread, the crowds grew larger and larger. By the 
time they came to the descent of the mountain, near Jerusa- 
lem, many began to spread their garments in the way and 
others cut down branches of trees and spread them in the 
road. And many bore green branches of palm trees, and 
waved them. And the whole throng began to rejoice 
and praise God for the mighty works they had seen, saying, 
''Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! 
Hosanna in the highest !" But some Pharisees were there. 
They said, "Master, rebuke your disciples. " He said to them, 
"If these should hold their peace, the very stones would cry 
out. ,, And when he came in view of the city, with its massive 
walls and watch towers, he wept over it, and said, "If thou 
didst only know the things which make for thy peace. The 
day shall come when thy foes shall dig a trench about thee 
and surround thee on every side and lay thee level with the 
ground, and thy children with thee, and not leave one stone 
upon another. " Fifty years later a Roman general, named 
Titus, took the city and burned the great temple to the 
ground. 

Then as Jesus came nearer the city a great throng of 
people also came forth from the city to meet him and they 
too took up branches of palm trees and waved them and 
cried, "Hosanna ! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh 
in the name of the Lord!" Thus Jesus came into Jerusalem. 
There were perhaps more than a million people there during 
the feast. And the whole city was moved by the loud ac- 
claim. People from the city ran up, saying, "Who is this?" 
And the throng made answer, "This is Jesus, the prophet of 
Nazareth of Galilee." And the Pharisees said among them- 
selves, "Behold, the world is gone after him !" 

Then Jesus went into the temple and taught the people 
there. And when even came, he went back to Bethany with 
the twelve and lodged there that night. The next morning, 
as he went again to Jerusalem, he saw a fig tree afar off 



94 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

with leaves. He was hungry, and so they went up to it to 
see if they might find anything on it, but they found it had 
nothing but leaves. And Jesus said to the tree, "Let no 
fruit grow on thee henceforth. " And his disciples heard the 
saying and did wonder at it. 

And they passed on and Jesus went into the temple again. 
He found changers of money there, and people who sold cattle 
and sheep and doves for use in the temple service. And Jesus 
made a scourge of small cords and drove them all out of the 
temple with the sheep and cattle, and turned over the seats 
of those who sold doves, and the tables of the money changers 
and poured out their money. And to them that sold he said, 
"Take these things hence. Make not my Father's house a 
place of buying and selling. Is it not written, 'My house 
shall be called a house of prayer'? but you have made it a 
den of robbers. " 

As the day passed, blind and lame persons were brought 
to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them. This caused the 
people to rejoice. Young children, who had heard the joyful 
cries of the throng the day before, ran through the halls and 
courts of the temple, shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of Da- 
vid!" This made the priests very angry. They scolded the 
children and said to jesus, "Do you hear w T hat these say?" 
And he said, "Yes; have you never read that 'out of the 
mouth of babes thou dost perfect praise.' ?" This made the 
priests more angry than before. They wanted to destroy 
Jesus, but could not find a way to do it, for all the people 
were eager to hear his words. 

At the close of the day, Jesus and his disciples again went 
back to Bethany for the night. 

The next day was Tuesday. Early in the morning, as they 

-ed along on the way back to Jerusalem, they saw the fig 
tree which Jesus cursed the day before, dried up from its 
roots. Then Peter said, "Master, behold, the fig tree which 
thou didst curse has dried up." Then Jesus said, "Have faith 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 95 

in God. Whoever shall say to this mountain, 'Be thou cast 
into the sea/ and shall believe, and not doubt in his heart, it 
shall be done. And all things you shall ask in prayer with 
faith you shall receive. " 

Then Jesus, with his disciples, passed on and they again 
went into the temple that he might teach the people. As he 
was walking through the temple some of the chief priests 
and scribes and elders, who were angry because he had driven 
the money changers and traders out, came to him and said, 
"By what right do you do these things?" Jesus said to them, 
"Answer me this and then I will tell you : Was the baptism 
of John from heaven or of men? Tell me." Then they did 
reason among themselves, and said to each other, "If we say 
from heaven, he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' 
If we say of men, the people will stone us, for they believe 
that John was a prophet." So they said to him, "We cannot 
tell." Then Jesus said to them, "Neither do I tell you by 
what right I do these things. 

"But what think you? A certain man had two sons, and 
he came to the first and said, 'Son, go to work today in my 
vineyard/ and he said, T will not/ but later he did repent and 
went and worked. 

"And the father said to the second likewise, and the sec- 
ond son said, T will go, sir/ but went not. Which of the 
two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first?" 
Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you that Publicans and harlots go 
into the kingdom of God before you. For John the Baptist 
came to you in the spirit of right and you would not believe, 
but the Publicans and harlots did believe. When you had even 
seen, you would not repent and believe." 

Then he spoke to them a parable, saying: 

"A certain man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around 
it, and built a wine press and tower in it, and let it out to 
tenants, and went into a far country. And when the season 
for the fruit came, he sent a servant to them to receive some 



96 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

of the fruit of the vineyard. But they caught the servant and 
beat him, and sent him away with nothing. 

"Then the master of the vineyard sent a second servant, 
but they stoned him and wounded him on the head, and sent 
him away with nothing. 

"Then the master sent a third servant and they wounded 
him also and cast him out. 

"Then said the master of the vineyard, T will send my 
only son. It may be they will respect him when they see 
him/ But when the tenants saw the son they said among 
themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him that the 
vineyard may be ours.' So they cast the son also out of the 
vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the master of the 
vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those 
wicked men and let his vineyard to others who will render 
to him fruit in its season. 

"I say unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from 
you and given to those w r ho bring forth the fruits of it." 

When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these sayings, 
they did perceive that he spoke of them, but they did not lay 
hands on him for fear of the people. 

And Jesus spoke another parable to them, saying: 
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, who 
made a wedding feast for his son. And he sent servants 
forth to invite the guests, but those that w r ere bidden would 
not come. Then he sent other servants forth, saying, 'Tell 
those which are bidden that I have my dinner ready. My 
oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are waiting. Come 
to the wedding feast/ But they made light of it, and some 
went their ways; one to his farm, another to his store. And 
the rest took his servants and treated them with spite and 
then slew them. 

"When the king heard of it, he was filled with wrath, and 
sent forth his soldiers, and did destroy those wicked men and 
burn their city. Then the king said to his servants, The 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 97 

wedding feast is ready, but those bidden are not worthy; go 
into the highways and as many as you find, bid them to 
come to the wedding feast.' Then the servants went out 
into the highways and brought as many as they could find, 
both good and bad, and the wedding had many guests. 

"When the king came to see the guests, he saw among 
them a man who wore no wedding garment, and he said, 
'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding gar- 
ment?' And the man was speechless. Then the king said 
to his servants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into 
outer darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of 
teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen." 



98 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



ATTEMPTS TO ENTRAP HIM — OTHER TEACHINGS — 
JUDAS ISCARIOT. 

While Jesus was teaching the Pharisees were watching 
him that they might entrap him in his words. And they sent 
forth certain spies, who did pretend to be righteous men, to 
tempt him and try to entrap him in his words, and to take 
him and turn him over to the ruling power of the governor. 
These men went to Jesus and said, "Master, we know that 
you regard not the person of men and teach the way of 
God truly; tell us, is it lawful for us to give tribute to Cae- 
sar or not?" But he saw their cunning, and said, "Why do 
you tempt me? Show me the tribute money." And they 
showed him a penny. He looked at it and said, "Whose 
image is this and whose title written upon it?" They said, 
"Caesar's." Then he said, "Render unto Caesar the things 
that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." 
And they did marvel at his answer and held their peace. 

Then certain Sadducees, who did not believe in resurrec- 
tion from the dead at the last day, came to Jesus, and said, 
"Master, Moses has written, Tf a man's brother die and leave 
a wife, but no children, that the brother should marry the 
widow and raise up the children unto his dead brother.' Now, 
once there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and 
died, leaving no children. Then the second took her as his 
wife, but he died, leaving no children. Then, in like manner, 
all the others took her as a wife, and died, leaving no chil- 
dren. Last of all the woman died. Now when they shall 
all rise from the dead, whose wife shall she be?" Then 
Jesus said to them, "You neither know the Scriptures, nor 
the power of God. The children of this world marry, but 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST, 99 

those who are worthy to attain unto that world and to rise 
from the dead do not marry, but are as the angels of heaven. 
Neither can they die any more, for they are the children of 
God. Have you not read where God said to Moses, 'I am 
the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of 
Jacob?' God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." 
And when the Pharisees heard these things, they were 
amazed at his doctrine. 

Then one of the Pharisees, who was a lawyer, wishing to 
tempt him, said, "Master, which is the great commandment 
in the law?" Jesus said to him, "Thou shalt love the Lord, 
thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with 
all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love 
thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang 
the whole law and the prophets." 

And after that no man dare ask him any question. 

And as Jesus sat near the treasury in one of the courts 
of the temple, he saw how the people cast money into it. Many 
rich men cast in much. Then there came a poor widow who 
cast in two mites, which make a farthing. Jesus called to 
his disciples and said, "Indeed, this poor widow has cast in 
more than all the others. They have cast in from their 
wealth, but she, in her want, has cast in all that she had, 
even her living." 

And again when many chief priests and Scribes and many 
people were about them, he said to his disciples : 

"The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' place. Do what 
they bid you, but not after their works. For they lay heavy 
burdens upon men's shoulders, but will not move one finger 
themselves. They do their works to be seen of men; they 
enlarge the borders of their garments and seek the chief 
places at the feast, and in the synagogues, and for men to 
salute them in the streets and call them Rabbi. You should 
not be called Rabbi, for you are all brethren, and one is your 
teacher. Call no man father on earth, for only one is your 



ioo LIFE OF THEXHRIST. 

Father, he who is in heaven. Be not called masters, for The 
Christ only is your master. 

"But woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, be- 
cause you shut the kingdom of heaven against men. You 
enter not in yourselves nor suffer them. You compass sea 
and land to convert one and then you make him twofold 
worse than yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides, who say 
that if one swear by the temple, it amounts to nothing, but 
if he swear by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his 
oath. Which is greater, the gold or the temple, which makes 
the gold sacred? And you say if one swear by the altar, it 
amounts to nothing, but if he swear by the gift on the altar, 
he is bound by his oath. Which is the greater, the gift or 
the altar, which makes the gift sacred? 

"Woe unto you, for you tithe mint and anise and cummin, 
and have left undone the more weighty matters of law, jus- 
tice, mercy, and faith. You strain out the gnat and swallow 
the camel. You cleanse the outside of the cup, and of the 
platter, but within they are full of rapine and excess. You 
are like whited tombs, which without have much beauty, 
but within are full of dead men's bones. You build tombs 
of the prophets and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our 
fathers, we would not have taken part with them in the 
blood of the prophets/ yet you witness that you are the sons 
of those who slew the prophets. You serpents, how shall 
you escape the judgment of hell? Behold, I send unto you 
prophets, and wise men, and Scribes. Some of them you will 
kill; some of them you will scourge and harass from city 
to city." 

Then Jesus went out of the temple and some of his disci- 
ples began to show him the buildings of the temple and the 
goodly stones in it. Jesus said, "The days will come when 
there will not be one stone left upon another. " And then 
they went out to the Mount of Olives near by, and sat down 
to rest. Then Peter and James and John and Andrew came 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 101 

to him and said, "Master, tell us when these things shall be, 
and what shall be the sign of thy coming?" Jesus said, 'Take 
heed lest any man deceive you. Many shall conic in my name, 
saying, 'I am The Christ/ and shall deceive many. Heaven and 
earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. But 
of that day and that hour no man knows, not even the angels 
in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. Take heed, 
watch and pray, for you know not when the time is. The 
Son of man is like one taking a far journey, who leaves his 
house and commands his servants to work and his porter to 
watch. Watch, therefore, for you know not when the mas- 
ter of the house will return, at even or at midnight, or at the 
cock crowing in the morning, lest he come quickly and find 
you sleeping. And what I say to you I say to all, watch." 

And he spoke another parable unto them, saying: 

"The kingdom of heaven is like unto ten virgins who took 
their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five 
of them were wise and five foolish. Those that were foolish 
took their lamps, but took no oil with them. But the wise 
took oil in vessels, with their lamps. And while the bride- 
groom did tarry, they all fell asleep. At midnight there was 
a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom comes ; go out to meet him.' 
Then all the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. Then 
the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us of your oil, for our 
lamps are gone out/ But the wise said, 'We cannot, lest 
there be not enough for you and us. Go to them that sell 
and buy for yourselves.' 

"And while the foolish virgins were gone to buy, the 
bridegroom came, and the wise virgins and all who were 
ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was 
shut. Then, after that, came the foolish virgins, saying, 
'Lord, open the door for us/ But the lord of the wedding 
feast said, 'I know you not/ 

"Watch, therefore, for you know not the day, nor the 
hour, when the Son of man shall come." 



io2 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

And he said, "Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto 
a man going into a far country, who called his servants and 
left to them his wealth. To the first he gave five talents, to 
the second two talents, and to the third one talent ; to each 
as he was able to manage it. Then the man went on his 
journey. Then the servant who had five talents went and 
traded with them and made five other talents. Likewise, he 
that had two talents gained two talents more. But he that 
had one talent dug in the earth and hid his master's money. 

"After a long time, the master of those servants came 
back to reckon with them. Then he that had five talents 
came and brought five other talents, and sakl, 'Master, thou 
didst give me five talents and I have gained with them five 
talents more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, good and 
faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, 
I will place you over many things. Enter into the joy of 
your master/ And he that had two talents came also, and 
said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. I have gained with 
them two talents more/ His master said to him, 'Well done, 
good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few 
things, I will place you over many things. Enter into the 
joy of your master/ Then he who had the one talent came 
and said, 'Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping 
where you have not sown, and taking up where you have 
not strewn, and I was afraid, and w T ent and hid your talent in 
the ground. Now you have what is yours/ His master said 
to him, 'You wicked and slothful servant ! You knew that I 
reap where I did not sow, and gather where I have not strewn. 
Therefore, you ought to have put my money with the bank- 
ers, and then at my coming I should have had my own, with 
the income from it. Take from him the one talent, and give it 
to him who has the ten talents. For unto every one who 
has profit shall be given, and he shall have in plenty, but 
from him that has no profit shall be taken away, even that 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 103 

which he has. Cast the slothful servant into outer darkness; 
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and the 
holy angels with him, he shall sit upon the throne of his 
glory. -And all people shall be brought before him and he 
shall divide them as a shepherd divides his sheep from his 
goats. He shall set the sheep on the right hand and the goats 
on the left. 

"Then the Lord shall say to them on the right hand, 
'Come, ye blessed of my Father; enter into the kingdom 
made for you from the founding of the world. For I was 
hungry and you gave me meat. I w T as thirsty and you gave 
me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked 
and you clothed me. I was sick and you did visit me. I 
was in prison and you came unto me.' 

"Then the righteous shall answer, 'When did we see thee 
hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? When 
did we see thee a stranger and take thee in, or naked and 
clothe thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison and 
visit thee?' And the Lord shall say to them, 'As you have 
done these things unto the least of these, my brethren, you 
have done them unto me/ 

"Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, 'Depart 
from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, made for the devil 
and his angels. For I was hungry, and you gave me no meat. 
I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger, 
and you took me not in ; naked, and you did not clothe me ; 
sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.' 

"Then shall they answer, 'Lord, when did we see thee 
hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in 
prison, and did not give unto thee, or visit thee?' Then he 
shall say, 'As you did not these things unto one of the least 
of these, you did them not to me.' And these shall go away 
into everlasting torment. But the righteous shall enter into 
everlasting life." 



io 4 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

When Jesus had ended these teachings, he said, "You 
know that after two days comes the day of the feast of the 
Passover. Then they will betray the Son of man to be killed. 
Then they went on over the Mount of Olives to the home of 
Mary and Martha and Lazarus, to rest for the night. 

After the priests had failed in their attempts to entrap 
Jesus in his words and to turn the people against him, they 
became even more angry than before. That night the council 
of the Sanhedrin met again in the palace of Caiaphas, the 
high priest, to lay plans to take Jesus by craft. They were still 
afraid that if they took him in public, on the feast day, they 
might cause an uproar among the people. 

The next day Jesus spent in quiet on the Mount of Olives. 
It was time to get ready for the Passover. He wanted to 
prepare his disciples for the things which were soon to come. 
At last they seemed to know that he was to be taken away 
from them, and they were filled with sorrow. So Jesus spent 
the day resting and teaching them. The Mount of Olives had 
many vineyards. As they talked of the vines and the keep- 
ing of them Jesus spoke to them thus: 

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the keeper. Every 
branch in me that does not bear much fruit he purges it that 
it may bring forth more fruit. Now the word ; I have spoken 
has purged you. As the branch cannot bear fruit except it 
abide in the vine, so you cannot bear fruit unless you abide 
in me. 

"I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides 
in me, and allows my words to abide in him, will bring forth 
much fruit. Without me, you can do nothing. If men abide 
not in me, they are cast forth as branches and wither, and 
men gather them and cast them into the fire and they are 
burned. If you abide in me, and my words in you, you may 
ask what you will, and it shall be given you. It will be glory 
unto my Father if you bear much fruit and thus be my dis- 
ciples. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, that 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 105 

you may go forth and bring fruit which shall remain. As the 
Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 
These things have I spoken, that my joy may remain in you, 
and your joy may be full." 

But Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, loved money and 
had his heart set on an earthly reward. When he made com- 
plaint that Mary had poured the costly ointment on Jesus' 
head two nights before, Jesus gave him a severe rebuke in 
the presence of all the disciples. The sting of that rebuke 
stayed with him. And when he learned that Jesus was to be 
taken away and he was to get no earthly reward, but must 
suffer rather, he became grieved more than ever, and went 
away to the chief priests and captains of the temple in Jeru- 
salem and said, "What will you give me if I will betray him 
to you?" And they were glad of the chance, and agreed to 
give Judas thirty pieces of silver to betray Jesus to them. 
And from that time they sought a way to take him in the 
absence of the people. 



io6 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



THE LAST SUPPER. 

During the day some of the twelve came to Jesus and 
said, "Where shall we prepare to eat the feast of the Pass- 
over ?" And he said to Peter and John, "Go into the city and 
a man bearing a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him 
into the house and say to the good man of the house, 'The 
master says his time is at hand. Where is the guest chamber 
where he shall eat the feast of the Passover with his disci- 
ples?' And the man will show you a large upper room; there 
make ready for us." And Peter and John went and found as 
Jesus had said and made ready for the Passover. 

Some say that the good man of the house was Joseph of 
Arimathaea, and others say that he was John Mark, the au- 
thor of the second gospel. But the truth is not surely known 
to us. 

And when even was come, Jesus and his disciples went 
to the upper room, which had been made ready. As the cus- 
tom was, they left their sandals at the door, and then took 
their places at the table. This friend of Jesus had made the 
room neat and clean, but no one had come to wash the feet 
of the guests as they came in. So Jesus arose from the table 
and laid aside his outer garment and took a towel and girded 
himself with it. Then he poured water in a basin and began 
to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel. 
As Jesus came near, Peter said to him, "Lord, dost thou wash 
my feet?" Jesus said, "What I am doing you know not now, 
but you will know in the future." Then Peter said, "Thou 
shalt never wash my feet." Then Jesus said to him, "If I 
wash you not, you will have no part with me." Then Peter 
.said, "Lord, wash not my feet only, but my hands and head 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 107 

also." And after Jesus had washed the feet of all, he sat 
down again, and said to them, "Do you know what I have 
done to you? You called me Master and Lord now, and you 
do well, for such I am. Then, if your Lord and Master doth 
wash your feet, you also ought to wash each other's feet. 
The servant is not greater than his lord. Neither is he that 
is sent greater than he who sent him." 

Then, as he sat at the table with them, he said, "I have 
been anxious to eat this feast of the Passover with you be- 
fore I suffer. For I will not eat it any more until it be in the 
kingdom of God." Then he took bread and gave thanks, 
and broke it, and gave to them, saying, "This is my body, 
which is given for you. Do this in memory of me." Then 
he took the cup and gave it to them, saying, "Drink ye all of 
it. This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed 
for many. But I will not drink any more of the fruit of the 
vine until the kingdom of God shall come." 

And while they were eating, Jesus said, "One of you who 
eats with me will betray me." And they became very sad, 
and began to say, one by one, "Is it I?" He said, "It is one 
of you who clips with me in the dish who will betray me. The 
Son of man will go, as it is written of him, but woe to that 
man who does betray him. It would have been better for that 
man if he had never been born." Then, at last, Judas said, 
"Master, is it I?" Jesus said to him, "You have said. What you 
intend to do, do quickly." Then, at once, Judas arose and 
went out, and it was night. 

Peter and the others did not know what Judas left for. 
Had they known, they likely would have laid hands upon 
him. 

As soon as Judas had gone out, Jesus and the others be- 
came more cheerful. And he said, "Now the Son of man is 
filled with glory, and God is in him. Little children, yet a lit- 
tle while I am with you. You shall seek me, but where I go 
you cannot come. I give you this new commandment, 'Love 



108 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

one another.' As I have loved you, love ye also each other. 
By this shall men know that you are my disciples. 

"All of you will take offense because of me this night. 
For it is written, 'J will smite the shepherd and the flock will 
scatter abroad/ But when I am risen again, I will go before 
you into Galilee. " Then Peter said to him, "Though all men 
take offense because of thee, I will not." Jesus said to him, 
"Before the cock crows this night, you will thrice deny that 
you know me." Then Peter said, "Though I die with thee, 
I will not deny thee." And the other disciples said the same. 

Then Jesus taught them, saying, "Let not your hearts be 
troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my 
Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I 
would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And 
I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I 
am you may be also. And where I go you know, and the 
way you know." 

Then Thomas said, "We know not where thou goest. 
Then, how can we know the way." Jesus said to him, "I 
am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the 
Father but by me. If you had known me, you would know 
my Father also. Henceforth, you have seen and know him." 

Then Philip, one of the younger disciples, said, "Lord, 
show us the Father and that will suffice." Jesus said to him, 
"Have I been with you so long, Philip, and yet you have not 
known me? He that has seen me has seen the Father. I 
am in the Father and the Father in me. The words that I 
speak to you I speak not of myself, but of the Father that 
dwells in me. Believe my words, or believe me, for my 
work's sake. He that believes on me shall do the works that 
I do, and even greater, because I go to the Father. 

"If you love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray 
the Father, and he will give you a comforter, which is the 
Spirit of truth, which shall abide with you always. The world 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 109 

cannot receive htm because it does not know him, but you 
know him, and he shall dwell with you." 

Then Thaddeus, who was also called Lcbbaeus, said unto 
him, "Why wilt thou show thyself unto us and not unto the 
world?" Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep my 
words, and my Father will love him, and we will come and 
abide with him. If a man love me not, he will not keep my 
words. 

"I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot 
bear them now. But when the Spirit of truth is come, he will 
guide you into all truth. He will bring to mind all that I 
have said and show you the things to come. My peace I 
leave with you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let 
it be afraid. I go away, but I will come again unto you. You 
should rejoice because I go to the Father. After this I will 
not talk much with you, for the prince of this world comes 
and he has nothing in me." 

And when they had sung a hymn, Jesus said, "Arise, let 
us go hence;" and they went out into the Mount of Olives. 
There Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, 
the hour is come. Give glory to thy Son that thy Son may 
give glory to thee. I have done the works which thou gavest 
me to do. Shed upon me the glory of thine own self which 
I had with thee before the world was. I have shown thy 
name to the men which thou gavest me and they have kept 
thy word. They know that all things done by me are of 
thee. I pray for them which thou hast given me, for they are 
mine. And all mine are thine and thine are mine and I have 
glory in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these 
are in the world. I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them 
that they may be one as we are one. I have kept them in thy 
name, and none is lost except the son of perdition. I speak 
these things that they may have my joy in themselves. I 
have given them thy word. The world has hated them be- 
cause they are not of the world. I pray not that thou 



no LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

shouldst take them out of the world, but that thou shouldst 
keep them from evil. Make them holy through thy truth. 
As thou hast sent me into the world, so I have sent them into 
the world. I pray not only for these, but also for all who 
shall believe on me through their word. Father, I will that 
they be with me where I am that they may see my glory. 
The world has not known thee, but I have known thee, and 
these know that thou hast sent me. I have named unto 
them thy name that thy love may be in them. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. in 



CHAITKR XXIII. 



GARDEN OP GETHSEJVTANE — BEFORE ANNAS AND CAIAPHAS — 

SENT BEFORE PILATE. 

When Jesus had ended this prayer he and his disciples 
passed over the brook of Kidron into the garden called Geth- 
semane, which is about half a mile from the city. Jesus had 
often gone into this garden with his disciples to pray and 
rest. Then he said to them, "Sit ye here while I go yonder 
and pray." And he took with him Peter and James and John, 
and he began to be very sad and heavy. And he said to them, 
"My soul is full of sorrow, even unto death. Tarry ye here 
and watch with me." And he went a little farther and fell 
upon his face and said, "Father, if thou wilt, remove this cup 
from me ; yet not my will, but thine, be done." Then he came 
to the three disciples and found them sleeping, for they also 
were heavy with sorrow. And he said to Peter, "Why do 
you sleep? Could you not watch with me one hour? Watch 
and pray that you be not tempted. Truly the spirit is willing, 
but the flesh is weak." Then he went forward a second 
time and prayed likewise and came back and found the three 
disciples again sleeping, and he said nothing. Then he went 
away a third time, and prayed the same prayer. He was in 
great anguish and sweat as it were great drops of blood, 
which fell down on the ground. And there came an angel 
from heaven to comfort him. And strength was given him, 
and he went back to the three disciples the third time and 
said, "Sleep on now, and take your rest." 

Then, suddenly a flash of torches was seen in the garden. 
The bearers of the torches were drawing near to where 
Jesus was. As soon as Jesus saw them, he said, "My time is 
come. Rise, let us be going. He that betrays me is at 
hand. And while he was yet speaking, Judas came with a 



ii2 LIFE OF THE CHRIST, 

band of soldiers bearing lanterns and torches and swords and 
staves. They came from the chief priests and scribes and 
elders. Judas had told the soldiers that he would kiss Jesus 
for a sign that they might know him. So Judas came for- 
ward and said, "Hail, master, " and kissed Jesus. Then Jesus 
said, "Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?" 
Then he said to the band, "Whom do you seek?" And they 
said, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I am he." 
And when the disciples saw what would follow, some of 
them said, "Master, shall we smite with a sword?" And 
Peter quickly drew his sword and smote off the ear of Mal- 
chus, a servant of the high priest. But Jesus said, "Peter, 
put up your sword. They that take the sword shall perish 
with the sword. Could I not pray the father, and he would 
give me more than twelve legions of angels? Suffer thus 
far." And he touched Malchus' ear and healed it. Then he 
said to the band, "Are you come out as against a thief with 
swords and staves? I was with you daily, teaching in the 
temple, and you took me not, but this is your hour, and the 
power of darkness. If you are seeking me, let these men 
go away." Then his disciples forsook him and fled. 

And there was with them a certain young man who is 
thought to have been John Mark, the author of the second 
gospel. Pie w r ore nothing about his body but a linen cloth 
used for a sleeping garment. Some of the soldiers tried to 
seize him, and laid hold of the linen cloth, but he left the 
cloth and ran away naked. Then they laid hold of Jesus, 
and bound him and led him away. After the arrest of 
Jesus, they took him first to the house of Annas, which 
was on Mount Zion, near the temple. Annas was a great 
man among the Jews. At one time he had been high priest 
for seven years. He was the father-in-law of Joseph Caia- 
phas, the high priest of that time. Annas hated Jesus on 
account of the things he had spoken against the priests and 
because he had driven the traders out of the temple. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 113 

It was understood among- the members of the Sanhe- 
drin that a meeting was to be called in case they were able 
to secure Jesus' arrest. And so Annas and the leaders of 
the Jews sent out word for the members of the Sanhedrin 
to meet at the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest. This 
palace was high up among the gardens of Mount Zion. 
Then the guards took Jesus, bound, to the palace of Caiaphas. 
Peter and John, who had come into the city, followed afar 
off and came to the palace also. John was known to the 
high priest, and went into the hall, but Peter stood without 
the door. Then John spoke to the damsel who kept the 
door, and she let him bring Peter in with him. The ser- 
vants of the high priest had made a fire in the midst of the 
hall, for it was cold, and they sat warming themselves. And 
Peter sat down among them. 

When the chief priests and scribes and elders had come 
into the palace, the high priest, Caiaphas, asked Jesus about 
his disciples and his doctrine. Jesus said, "I have spoken 
openly to the world. I have always taught in the synagogue 
and the temple as the Jews do. In secret I have said noth- 
ing. Ask them who have heard me. They know what I said." 
Then one of the guards struck Jesus with his hand, and said, 
"Do you answer the high priest thus?" Jesus said, "If I have 
spoken evil, you bear witness of the evil, but if well, why do 
you strike me?" 

And the chief priests and the whole council sought false 
witness against Jesus, to put him to death. Under the 
Roman law there had to be at least two witnesses to the 
same facts to convict any man. Many persons came and 
bore false witness against him, but no two of them agreed. 
But at last they found two false witnesses who both said, 
"We heard him say, 'I am able to destroy the temple of 
God and to build it again in three days.' " Then the high 
priest arose and said, "Answer what these witness against 



ii 4 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

you." But Jesus held his peace. Then the high priest said, 
"I adjure thee, by the living- God, tell us whether you are 
The Christ?" And Jesus said, "I am; and you shall see the 
Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming 
in the clouds of heaven." Then the high priest rent his 
clothes, and said, "What need have we of any further wit- 
nesses? We have heard him blaspheme with his own mouth. 
What think you?'' They all said, "He deserves death. " 
Then Caiaphas did adjudge Jesus guilty and to be worthy of 
death. And some mocked him and smote him with the 
palms of their hands. Others began to cover his face and 
to strike him, and say, "Tell us, thou Christ, who is it that 
struck thee?" But Jesus held his peace. 

Peter w r as still sitting among those who were warming 
themselves in the midst of the hall. Then the damsel who 
kept the door looked at him closely and went to him and 
said, "Are you not also one of this man's disciples ?" And 
he said, "I am not." Then Peter went out into the porch, 
and a certain other maid saw him there, and said to them 
that stood by, "This is one of them." But Peter said, "I do 
not know the man." After a little while a kinsman of Mal- 
chus, the servant whose ear Peter had cut off, came up to 
Peter, and said, "Did I not see you in the garde n with 
him? Surely you are one of them, for your speech be- 
trays you." Then Peter began to swear and say, "I know 
not this man of whom you speak." And at once the cock 
crew, and Jesus turned and looked upon Peter, and then 
Peter called to mind that Jesus had said, "Before the cock 
crows thou shalt deny me thrice." And Peter went out and 
wept bitterly. 

Early the next morning, the chief priests and scribes and 
elders called a meeting of the Sanhedrin, again to lay plans 
to have Jesus put to death, in keeping with the judgment of 
the high priest. They know that they had no right to put 
to death, but that the Roman government only could impose 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 115 

a decree of death. So they agreed to take Jesus before 
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, and they had 
him bound and led him away to the palace of Pontius 
Pilate. 

After Jesus was taken by the soldiers in the garden, 
Judas followed them into Jerusalem. He watched about to 
see what would be done. When he heard that Jesus had 
been found worthy of death before the high priest and 
taken before the Roman governor, he was filled with 
remorse for what he had done. So he took the thirty 
pieces of silver and went to the temple early in the morn- 
ing. There he found some of the priests and elders, it may 
have been, leaving the council of the Jews. He said to them, 
"I have sinned, in that I did betray innocent blood. I have 
come to return the thirty pieces of silver." But they said, 
"What is that to us? You see to that?" Then Judas threw 
the thirty pieces of silver down on the marble floor of the 
temple and went out and hanged himself, and he fell head- 
long and burst open, and his bowels gushed out. The priests 
took up the thirty pieces of silver, but said, "It is not law- 
ful for us to put them into the treasury, because it is the 
price of blood." So they took counsel and bought with them 
the potter's field, to bury strangers in. And that field is 
called The Field of Blood to this day. 



n6 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



PILATE'S PALACE— HEROD ANTIPAS — THE TRIAL. 

The palace of Pontius Pilate was high up on the moun- 
tain, and had a fortress for Roman soldiers built with it. 
When the soldiers brought Jesus to the palace, they took 
him into the Judgment Hall, where trials were mostly held, 
but the chief priests and scribes and elders would not go in 
for fear that they might defile themselves, as it was the 
day to eat the feast of the Passover. For they had a rule 
against going into a Gentile house on a feast day. So Pilate 
went out to them in the court which was called The Pave- 
ment, which was about the door of the Judgment Hall, and 
he said to them, "What charge do you bring against this 
man?" They said, "If this man were not an evil-doer we 
would not have given him over to you. He has stirred up our 
nation and forbade giving tribute to Caesar, and says he is 
Christ, a king/ 1 Then Pilate said, "Take him and judge him 
by your own law." But they said, "It is not lawful for us to 
put any man to death." Then Pilate went into the Judg- 
ment Hall again, and called Jesus to him, and said, "Are you 
the king of the Jews?" Then Jesus said, "Do you say this 
of yourself, or did others tell you this of me?" Then Pilate 
said with scorn, "Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the 
chief priests have brought you here to me. What have you 
dune?" Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If 
it were, then my servants would fight that I should not be 
given up to the leaders of the Jews." Pilate therefore 
said, "Are you a king, then?" Jesus said to him, "You say 
rightly. I am a king. To this end I was born, and for this 
cause 1 came into the world, to bear witness unto the truth. 
Every one that is of the truth hears my voice." Then 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 117 

Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" And when he had said 
this he went out again unto the Jews, and said to them, "I 
find no crime in this man." But they were the more angry, 
saying, "He stirs up the people throughout all Jewry, from 
this place to Galilee. M When Pilate heard mention of Gali- 
lee, he asked if Jesus was from Galilee. He was anxious to 
get rid of the trial of a case which had grown out of envy. 
And when he found that Jesus was from Galilee, he caused 
him to be taken before Herod Antipas, who was ruler over 
Galilee. By chance, Antipas was then in Jerusalem. He 
lived most of the time at Tiberias, the capital of Galilee, but 
he had come to Jerusalem to please his subjects, who were 
there to keep the feast of the Passover. When Herod An- 
tipas first saw Jesus he was pleased, for he had heard many 
things about him and had wanted for a long time to see 
some miracle done by him. So Herod Antipas asked Jesus 
many questions, but Jesus made no answer. And the chief 
priests and scribes, who had come there, also began to accuse 
Jesus loudly, but he would not answer them. Then Herod 
Antipas and his men of war who were with him mocked 
Jesus and put a gorgeous robe upon him. But Antipas also 
wanted to get rid of passing judgment on Jesus, and so he 
sent him back to Pilate. 

Before this, Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate had been 
at enmity, but these charges against Jesus brought them 
together, and they became friendly again. This is the last 
we hear of Herod Antipas in sacred writ. But other writers 
say that in a short time after this, Antipas, at the instance 
of his wicked wife, Herodias, went to Rome to seek the title 
of king, but that his purpose failed, and instead, Caesar 
took his provinces away from him, and sent him in exile to 
Lyons, in Gaul. The place is still called Lyons, and is on the 
Rhone river, in Eastern France. The wicked Herodias went 
with him. She fell on the ice there, and died in misery. 



u8 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

And Herod Antipas died there also, an outcast from his 
native land. 

When the guards brought Jesus back from Herod An- 
tipas, Pilate again called the chief priests and rulers and peo- 
ple to him, and said, "You have brought this man to me as one 
who stirs up the people. I have tried him before you, and 
found no crime in him touching the things of which you 
accuse him. Learning that he was from Galilee, I sent him 
to Herod Antipas, who happens to be in the city. Herod also 
has found no crime in him. He has done nothing worthy of 
death. But you have a custom that I should release unto 
you one whom you may desire during the Passover. Whom 
do you wish me to release unto you, Bar-Abbas or him who 
is called The Christ ?" He said this because he knew that 
the chief priests had made charges against Jesus for envy. 
But they all cried out, "Not this man, but Bar-Abbas. " 
Bar-Abbas was bound and imprisoned for raising a strife in 
the city and for murder. 

But when Pilate sat down again on the judgment seat, 
word came to him from his wife, Claudia, saying, "Have 
nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have this day 
seen many things in a dream because of him. Then Pilate, 
wishing to release Jesus, went out to the Jews again, and 
said, "Which of the two do you want me to release unto 
you, Jesus or Bar-Abbas?'' But the chief priests were mov- 
ing the people to ask for Bar-Abbas and to destroy Jesus. 
And so again they cried out, "Bar-Abbas !" Then Pilate 
said. "What shall I do, then, with Jesus, who is called The 
Christ?" And they all said, "Crucify him, crucify him !" 

Then Pilate said to them the third time, "Why, what 
evil has this man done? I have found no cause of death in 
him. Therefore, I will scourge him and let him go." But 
they cried out the more, saying, "Let him be crucified! Let 
him be crucified!" 

Then Pilate gave Bar-Abbas over to them, and turned 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 119 

Jesus over to the Roman soldiers to be scourged. And the 
soldiers led Jesus away to the Common Hall and called the 
whole band of soldiers there. And they stripped him and 
put a purple robe on him and platted a crown of thorns and 
put it upon his head, and they put a reed in his right hand 
like a sceptre. Then they bowed the knee before him and 
mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they 
spit upon him and hit him upon the head with reeds. 

Then Pilate had Jesus brought back and took him forth 
again into The Pavement before all the people, wearing the 
crown of thorns and the purple robe. Then he said to the 
people, "I bring him forth to you again, that you may know 
that I find no crime in him. And as they looked upon him 
with the purple robe and the crown of thorns and bloody 
stripes, Pilate said to them, "Behold the man!" But the 
chief priests and rulers cried out again, "Crucify him, cru- 
cify him !" Then Pilate said to them, "You take him and 
crucify him. I find no crime in him." Then the Jews said, 
"We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because 
he made himself the Son of God." When Pilate heard this, 
he was the more afraid, and he took Jesus back into the 
Judgment Hall again, and said to him, "Whence art thou?" 
But Jesus made no answer. Then Pilate, filled with sur- 
prise, said, "Do you refuse to answer these things which the 
chief priests and elders charge against you? And do you 
not answer me? Don't you know that I have power to cru- 
cify or power to release you?" Then Jesus said, "You could 
have no power against me unless it were given you from 
above. Therefore, they who turn me over to you have the 
greater sin." Then again Pilate went out to the people and 
sought to release Jesus, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If 
you let this man go you are not Caesar's friend. Whoever 
makes himself a king speaks against Caesar." When Pilate 
heard them mention Caesar he took Jesus back and sat down 
in the judgment seat, which was out in the open court 



120 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

called The Pavement. It was about the third hour — that is, 
nine o'clock in the morning. Then Pilate said to them, "Be- 
hold your king!" But they cried, "Away with him! Away 
with him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Shall I 
crucify your king?" Then the chief priests said, "We have 
no king but Caesar." Then Pilate, seeing that he could pre- 
vail nothing, but was rather causing a tumult, took water 
and washed his hands before the people, and said, "I am inno- 
cent of the blood of this just person; see you to it." Then 
the leaders of the Jews said, "Let his blood be upon us and 
our children." 

Then Pilate passed judgment as they wished and turned 
Jesus over to the soldiers for them to crucify, in keeping 
with the wishes of the chief priests and the leaders of the 
Jews. And Pilate gave over two robbers also, to be cru- 
cified with him. 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 121 



CHAPTER XXV. 



CALVARY— THE CRUCIFIXION. 

Crucifixion was the Roman method used to punish for 
high crimes. It was the custom that each convict should 
bear his own cross to the place of execution. So, at the com- 
mand of a Roman centurion, Jesus, with two robbers, went 
forth from Pilate's Judgment Hall, toward the gate of the 
city. Each was under a guard of four soldiers, and each 
bore his own cross. Many priests and scribes and elders 
and the Council of the Jews and a great crowd of curious 
people followed along after them. The hard scourging and 
anguish of soul had made Jesus weak in body, and by the 
time they passed out at the gate of the city he had become 
too weak to bear his cross alone, and the soldiers laid hold 
upon one Simon of Cyrene, who chanced to be coming from 
the country into the city, and they laid the cross on him and 
made him bear it along after Jesus. And many women did 
follow after Jesus, wailing and weeping for him. But Jesus 
turned to them and said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not 
for me, but for yourselves and your children. Behold, the 
days are coming when they shall say, 'Blessed are the chil" 
less ;' then they shall begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on 
us/ and to the hills, 'Cover us.' For if they do these things 
in the green tree, what shall they do in the dry?" 

The custom of that time was to write the name of the 
convict's crime upon a board and have it borne along before 
the convict on the way to the place of execution, that peo- 
ple might know his offense. And for a title, Pilate had 
them write upon boards in Hebrew and in Greek and in 
Latin, "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS." And these 
were borne along before Jesus on the way. 



122 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

From the city gate the soldiers, with Jesus and the rob- 
bers, followed by the concourse of people, w r ent on to a place 
which was called Calvary in Latin, and Golgotha in Hebrew. 
These words mean The Place of a Skull. It is said to have 
been a knoll shaped like a skull, and it was near the city. 
They reached the place between nine and ten o'clock in the 
morning. When they reached there they set three crosses 
up in the ground. Then they gave Jesus wine to drink, min- 
gled with myrrh, but when he tasted it he would not drink. 
Then they raised him up and nailed his hands and his feet to 
the middle cross. In like manner they fixed the two robbers 
to the other crosses, one on the right and one on the left. 
And they set up over Jesus' head, in Hebrew and in Greek 
and in Latin, the title, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. 
Then many people sat down to watch him upon the cross. 

But the chief priests quickly sent word to Pilate, saying, 
"Write not, 'This is the King of the Jews/ but that 'He said, 
I am the King of the Jews/ " But Pilate sent word back, 
saying, "What I have written I have written." 

And the four soldiers who had brought him took his gar- 
ments and began to divide them into four parts, one for each 
soldier, but his coat was woven without seam from the top 
throughout. So they said, "Let us not tear it, but cast lots 
for it." And they parted his garments among them, and for 
his vesture cast lots, as the psalmist had said they would do, 
a thousand years before. 

And many of the Jews passed by, railing at him and wag- 
ging their heads and saying, "You who can destroy the tem- 
ple and build it again in three days, save yourself. If you be 
the Son of God, come down from the cross." And some 
said, "He saved others, himself he cannot save." But Jesus 
said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what 
they do." 

And one of the robbers cried out, "If thou be the Christ, 
save thyself and us." But the other said, "Do you not fear 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 123 

God? We receive the reward that is due us for our deeds, 
but this man has done nothing wrong." And he said to 
Jesus, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy king- 
dom." And Jesus said to him, "This day you shall be with 
me in Paradise." 

Many women were there, who had come with Jesus from 
Galilee up to Jerusalem to attend the feast. They stood 
some distance away, watching all that was done. Among 
them was Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her sister, Mary, 
the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome, the 
mother of the two disciples James and John, and Mary 
Magdalene. And the disciple John was standing with them. 
When Jesus saw his mother, and John standing by her, he 
called to his mother and said, "Mother, behold your son ;" 
and to John he said, "John, behold your mother. " And from 
that day John took Mary, the mother of Jesus, to his own 
home and cared for her. 

It was now about the sixth hour, that is noon-day, and 
the sun became clouded, and there was darkness over the 
earth until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour, Jesus 
cried out with a loud voice, and said, "Eli, Eli, lama sabach- 
thani?" that is, "My God, my God, why dost thou forsake 
me?" Some said, "He calls for Elias." Others said, "Let 
him alone ; let us see if Elias will come to take him down." 
Then Jesus said, "I thirst." And some one ran and filled a 
sponge with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to 
drink. Then Jesus cried out again, with a loud voice, and 
said, "It is done. Father, into thy hands I commend my 
spirit." Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. And 
the veil of the temple was rent in twain. When the Roman 
centurion saw these things, he said, "Truly, this man was the 
Son of God." 



i2 4 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 



BURIAL. 

The next day was the Jewish Sabbath, and a high day of 
the feast. It began at the coming sunset. It was the cus- 
tom of the Jews to begin to prepare for the Sabbath from the 
ninth hour, that is, three o'clock, of the previous day. And 
it w r as against the law for a body to hang on the cross all 
night. So the chief priests and rulers of the Jews went to 
Pilate and asked leave to have the legs of Jesus and the 
robbers broken and their bodies taken away before the Sab- 
bath. Pilate gave them leave, and the soldiers broke the 
legs of both the robbers, but when they came to Jesus they 
saw that he was already dead, and they broke not his legs. 
But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and 
blood and water came from it. John, the disciple, saw these 
things, and wrote the record of them, which he declares is 
true. 

And when even was come, a rich man of Arimathea, 
named Joseph, w r ent and begged Pilate to let him take the 
body of Jesus away and bury it. Joseph was a member of 
the Council of the Jews, but was a good and just man. In 
secret he had been a disciple of Jesus, and did not consent to 
the acts of the Council against him. When Pilate learned 
from the centurion that Jesus was dead, he gave Joseph 
leave to take the body away and bury it. 

And Nicodemus, the ruler of the Jews w r ho once sought 
Jesus by night, came with Joseph, and brought a hundred 
pounds of myrrh and aloes. And they took the body of 
Jesus down and wrapped it in linen cloths with the oint- 
ment of myrrh and aloes, as the custom of the Jews was, 
and laid it in Joseph's new tomb which he had hewn out in 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 125 

the rock in his garden near by. Then they rolled a great 
stone against the door of the tomb and went away. And 
Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less 

and Joses, and other women from Galilee were there and 
saw the tomb and how the body was laid. 

Then the chief priests and rulers of the Jews went again 
to Pilate and said, "Sir, that deceiver, when he was alive, 
said that he would rise again after three days. Therefore, 
we beg you to command that the tomb be made secure 
until after the third day, lest his disciples come by night 
and steal him away, and then tell the people that he has 
risen from the dead. So the last error shall be worse than 
the first." Pilate said to them, "You have a watch. Go and 
make the tomb as secure as you can." And they went and 
set a seal upon the stone against the door of the tomb and 
set a watch to guard it. 

This is the last word the gospels give us about Pontius 
Pilate. Other writers tell us that Pilate made a report of the 
trial and conviction of Jesus to the Emperor at Rome. And 
some say that soon after this he had trouble with the 
Samaritans and w r as called before Caesar at Rome; that 
Caesar sent him into exile to a place called Vienna, on the 
Rhone river, in Gaul, and that he killed himself at that 
place. It is also said that a stone monument fifty feet high, 
with square base, has been found there, which is known as 
the Tomb of Pontius Pilate. The place is not many miles 
distant from Lyons, where Herod Antipas spent his last days 
in exile. 



126 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 



CHAPTER XXVTI 



RISEN— APPEARS MANY TIMES— ASCENDS. 

Now, when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and 
Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome, 
and other women, set out early in the morning-, which was 
the first day of the week, to the tomb, and took with them 
sweet spices to anoint the body of Jesus. They reached the 
garden where the tomb was about sunrise, and were asking 
each other who would roll away the stone from the door of 
the tomb, for it was very great. But when they came to 
the tomb and looked they saw that the stone had been rolled 
away. Then Mary Magdalene stood without, weeping, and 
as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb and 
saw two angels sitting on the right side clothed in white, 
one at the head and one at the feet, where the body had 
lain. Their faces were like lightning and their raiment as 
white as snow. And the guards who were about the tomb 
shook with fear, and became as dead men. And the angels 
said to her, "Woman, why do you weep?" She said to them, 
"Because they have taken my Lord away, and I know not 
where they have laid him." And the angels said, "Fear not; 
we know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not 
here, for he has risen. Come and see the place where your 
Lord lay, and then go quickly and tell his disciples that he 
has risen from the dead. He will go before you into Galilee. 
There you shall see him." And the women left the tomb, 
with fear and great joy, and started back to tell the disci- 
ples. On the way they met Peter and John coming, and 
said to them, "They have taken away our Lord out of the 
tomb." Then Peter and John ran to the tomb. But the 
women started on to tell the other disciples. And as they 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 127 

went on through the garden they saw Jesus standing by the 
way, but they did not know him. Jesus said to them, "All 

hail!" They stopped in surprise. Then he said to Mary, 
"Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?" She, 
thinking it was the keeper of the garden, said to him, "Sir, if 
you have borne him from the tomb tell us where you have 
laid him, and we will take him away. Then Jesus said to her, 
"Mary!" She turned and looked again, and knew him, and 
said, "Master!" Then they began to hold him by the feet 
and to worship him, but Jesus said, "Touch me not, for I am 
not yet risen to my Father, but go to my brethren and tell 
them to go into Galilee, and there they shall see me." 

When Peter and John ran to the tomb, John reached the 
place first and stooped down and looked in and saw the 
linen cloths lying about, but did not go in. But when Peter 
came he went at once into the tomb. He also saw the linen 
cloths lying about and the napkin wrapped in a place by 
itself. Then John went into the tomb also, and saw the 
same things, and began to believe. Then Peter and John 
went back to their place of abode in Jerusalem. 

As the women went on to the city to tell the disciples 
there, some of the guards who had been placed to watch the 
tomb went into the city also, and told the chief priests all 
things that were done. And the chief priests and elders met 
at once and took counsel and gave large sums of money to 
the soldiers, and told them to say that Jesus' disciples came 
by night and stole him away while they slept. And if this 
thing should come to Pilate's ears they would persuade 
Pilate and secure the soldiers from danger. So the soldiers 
took the money and went away and did as they were told. 

In a very short time Jesus did appear to Peter as he had 
to Mary Magdalene and the other women. The writings of 
both Luke and Paul tell us of this, but they give no details. 

On the same day, Cleopas and St. Luke, who were disci- 
ples of Jesus, but not among the twelve, went on a journey 



128 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusa- 
lem. As they went they talked of all these things which had 
come to pass. While they were talking on the way, Jesus 
himself came near and walked along with them. But their 

- were holden and they did not know him. Jesus said 
to them, "What arc you talking about as you walk and are 
sad." Then Cleopas said, "Are you a stranger in Jerusalem 
that you know not the things which have come to pass 
there in these days?" Jesus said to them, "What things?" 
Thc\' said, "About Jesus of Nazareth, who was a mighty 
prophet, and how the chief priests and our rulers caused him 
to be found guilty and put to death. We had faith that he 
was the one who should redeem Israel. Today is the third 
day since he was put to death. And early this morning Mary 
Magdalene and other women of our band went to the tomb, 
and his body was gone, and they came back, saying they had 
seen angels which told them that he was risen from the 
dead. And Peter and John also went to the tomb and found 
it as the women had said, and his body was not there. " Then 
Jesus said to them, "O foolish and slow of heart to believe 
what the prophets have written. Ought not the Christ suf- 
fer these things and enter into his glory ?" Then he began 
with Moses and the prophets, and did explain to them all 
the things in the scripture about himself. As they drew 
near to Emmaus, he acted as though he were going on. But 
they said to him, "Abide with us, for the day is far spent. " 
And he went into a certain place to tarry with them. And 
it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, that he took 
bread and blessed it, and broke and gave to them. Then they 
knew him, and he did vanish from their sight. Then Cleopas 
and Luke said, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he 
did explain the scriptures along the way!" Then they got 
lead}' and went back to Jerusalem and found the disciples 
and other friends of Jesus meeting in a large upper room, for 
they were afraid of the chief priests and the rulers of the 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 129 

Jews. It was likely the same room where Jesus had taken 
the Last Supper with his disciples. Some of them were say- 
ing, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has keen seen by Peter. " 
Then Cleopas and Luke told their wondrous story of how- 
Jesus had taught them along the way to Emmaus and how 
they knew him when he broke bread for them. 

And while they were all talking, Jesus himself came sud- 
denly into the midst of them, and said, "Peace be unto you." 
They all gazed at him in terror. They thought he was a 
spirit. But Jesus said, "Why are you troubled? Why do 
you doubt in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet! 
Handle me and see that it is I. A spirit has not flesh and 
bones, as you see me have." And he showed them his 
hands and his feet, and the wound in his side. And they 
could scarcely believe for joy. Then he said to them, "Have 
you anything to eat?" And they gave him a piece of broiled 
fish and some honey comb, and he ate before them. Then 
he said, "When I was with you, I told you that all things 
written about me in the law of Moses and in the prophets 
and psalms would come to pass. It is written that The 
Christ should suffer and rise from the dead the third day; 
that it should be preached in his name that men should 
repent and believe first at Jerusalem and then among all 
nations. And you witness the truth of these things. Now, 
as my father has sent me, even so I send you. And behold, 
I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry in 
Jerusalem until power from on high comes upon you." 

Thomas was not with the disciples at the time when 
Jesus came in. The others told him later that they had seen 
the Lord, but Thomas said, "Unless I put my finger in the 
print of the nails in his hand and thrust my hand into his 
side, I will not believe." 

After eight days, the disciples met again in the upper 
room. Thomas was with them this time. The doors were 
shut, and the eleven sat down to meat. Suddenly, Jesus 



i 3 o LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

came in and stood among them, and said, "Peace be unto 
you." Then Jesus said to Thomas, "Behold, and feel the 
prints in my hands. Reach forth your hand and thrust it 
into my side, and be not faithless, but believe." Then Thomas 
said, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus said, "Because 
you have seen me you believe. Blessed are they who have 
not seen me and yet believe." 

After this meeting', most of the disciples went back to 
Galilee, likely to the home of Peter and Andrew, at Caper- 
naum. Those that met there were Peter and Thomas and 
Nathaniel, and James and John, the sons of Zebedee, and two 
others whose names are not given. They likely had to 
take up their old callings to make a living. Peter said to 
them, "I am going a fishing." They said to him, "We will 
go with you." So they went forth along the shore of the 
Sea of Galilee, and got into a boat and began fishing. They 
toiled all night long, but caught nothing. When the morn- 
ing came, Jesus came along the shore and stood near them, 
but the disciples did not know T him. Then he said to them, 
"Children, have you any meat?" They said, "No." Then he 
said. "Cast your net on the right side of the boat, and you 
will find." And they cast the net on the right side, and it 
caught so many fishes that they were not able to draw it up. 
Then John said, "It is the Lord !" When Peter heard that it 
was the Lord he girded his fisher's coat about him, for he 

- naked, and cast himself into the sea and swam to the 
place where Jesus was. The other disciples were about a 
hundred yards from the shore and they came in the boats, 
dragging the net with the fishes after them. When they 
came to land they found a fire of coals there and fish laid 
on it and bread. Jesus said to them, "Bring the fish you have 
caught." Then Peter went to the bank and drew the net to 
the land and there were one hundred and fifty-three large 
fishes and vet the net was not broken. Jesus said to them, 
"Come and dine." No one asked who he was, for by this time 



te^^^ 




THE PERRY PICTURES. 7 3 8. C . 
BOSTON EDITION. 



FROM PAINTING BY HOFMANN. 18 2 4- 
COPYRIGHT, 19 9, BY EUGENE A. PERRY. 



CHRIST KNOCKING AT THE DOOR 



~- ^ 



CD 



CD 



LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 131 

they all knew that it was the Lord. Then Jesus took bread 
and fish and gave them to eat. 

When they had dined Jesus said to Peter/' Simon, do you 
love me more than these?" Peter said, "Yes, Lord, thou 
know est that i love thee." Then he said, "Feed my lambs/ 1 
Then Jesus said to him a second time, "Simon, do you love 
me?" And Peter said, "Yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love 
thee." Jesus said unto him, "Feed my sheep." Then Jesus 
said the third time, "Simon, do you love me?" Then Peter 
was grieved because he had asked the third time, and he said, 
"Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love 
thee." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." 

"Truly I say unto you, when you were young you girded 
yourself and walked where you would, but when you are old 
you shall stretch forth your hands and others shall gird you 
and carry you where you would not." Jesus spoke this to 
show what kind of a death Peter would die. Then he said to 
Peter, "Follow me." Then Peter, looking arotmd, saw John, 
and said, "What shall he do?" Jesus said, "What is that to 
you? Follow thou me." 

At a later time Jesus was seen by James, the brother of 
Jesus, who became known as James the Just. Profane 
w r riters tell us that, after the Last Supper, James made a sol- 
emn vow that he would neither eat nor drink until he had seen 
Jesus risen from the dead. 

Then after this the disciples went away into a certain 
mountain in Galilee where Jesus had told them to meet. More 
than five hundred people went with them to that place. Jesus 
came to them there. Some did worship him, but others 
doubted. Jesus said to them, "All power is given me in 
heaven and in earth. Go, therefore, and teach all nations and 
baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and 
of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I 
command, and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end 
of the world." 



i 3 2 LIFE OF THE CHRIST. 

Then again Jesus did appear to his disciples and many 
friends at Jerusalem. He had bidden them to tarry there 
until endued with power from on high. A great throng of 
people came together. He taught them again of his life and 
led them out as far as Bethany. Then he lifted up his hands 
and blessed them, and as he did so he was taken up into 
heaven. And they all did worship him and return to Jeru- 
salem with great joy and spent much time in the temple 
praising and blessing God. 



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